- Aug 11, 2017
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Hello brothers & sisters in Christ. There have been so many threads on faith and works and I’ve noticed that in these discussions one thing that often gets overlooked and is very rarely mentioned which I believe is at the very root of salvation and works which is love for others. What really drives a Christian to do good works? When we receive the Holy Spirit we are given a new heart. One of compassion and genuine love for others. I believe it is this love that drives us to do good works. It is Christ’s love living inside each and every one of us. When we love someone we are eager and pleased to help them especially in times of need. When I see examples in the Bible pertaining to rebuking or condemnation for lack of works or fruit I see the root cause is lack of love. In John 15 the parable of the vinedresser we see that the branches that do not produce fruit are cut off from the vine (Jesus) then thrown away to wither and thrown into the fire. Jesus continued in His message to say
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.”
John 15:7-17 NASB
Again in a parallel verse in 1 John 3
“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
1 John 3:16-24 NASB
So when we talk about faith without works what we’re really talking about is faith without love for others. Doing works is not about earning salvation it’s about helping those in need out of compassion and love. That’s why faith without works is dead. That’s why the goats were condemned. Jesus didn’t say the goats were condemned because they didn’t really believe. He said they were condemned because they didn’t do good works. But look at the examples given.
“for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'”
Matthew 25:42-43 NASB
Can we really say we love others if we let them go hungry with offering food? Or thirsty without offering them water, or clothes, or visiting them in times of trouble and heartache? That’s not love at all. Love is not selfish. Notice in James 2 the same examples are given.
“If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”
James 2:15-16 NASB
How can we say we love someone and let them go hungry into the cold with no warm clothes?
I hope this helps some who believe works are not necessary for salvation to have a more open mind and open heart to Christ’s teachings. Yes we are saved by faith but not by faith alone. Does anyone believe we are saved by faith without love?
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.”
John 15:7-17 NASB
Again in a parallel verse in 1 John 3
“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
1 John 3:16-24 NASB
So when we talk about faith without works what we’re really talking about is faith without love for others. Doing works is not about earning salvation it’s about helping those in need out of compassion and love. That’s why faith without works is dead. That’s why the goats were condemned. Jesus didn’t say the goats were condemned because they didn’t really believe. He said they were condemned because they didn’t do good works. But look at the examples given.
“for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'”
Matthew 25:42-43 NASB
Can we really say we love others if we let them go hungry with offering food? Or thirsty without offering them water, or clothes, or visiting them in times of trouble and heartache? That’s not love at all. Love is not selfish. Notice in James 2 the same examples are given.
“If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”
James 2:15-16 NASB
How can we say we love someone and let them go hungry into the cold with no warm clothes?
I hope this helps some who believe works are not necessary for salvation to have a more open mind and open heart to Christ’s teachings. Yes we are saved by faith but not by faith alone. Does anyone believe we are saved by faith without love?
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