Salvation, Works and "The Gift" (2)
Notes
Transcript
I want to further define the saying “Helmet of Salvation" that is mentioned as one of the “fruits of the spirit”
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
So the “Helmet of Salvation” is our hope of glory.
And what is our hope?
It is in Jesus Christ (His death, burial and resurrection)
More specifically…the putting on Christ and the infilling of the Holy Spirit which is (Christ in us)our hope of glory or salvation and our resurrection power
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
therefor, this deeper look reveals what we read in Galatians:
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
We see the bible tells us to “put on Christ” as you would a “helmet”
So the “helmet of Salvation” is indeed our hope of salvation…but deeper than that it is Christ in us, the hope of glory.
Jesus Christ is our “hope of glory”....we understand this when we “put on Christ”.....when we are baptised and filled with his spirit.
When we begin our walk with God we are as we are, but through this process we grow and mature in Christ.....We start out one way, and are transform into another
Grace Defined:
Grace is the divine assistance or ability and direction given us for regeneration which is spiritual renewal or revival in that we are given the opportunity to become spiritually reborn or converted thus being restored to God through Christ and thus given his Spirit to accomplish the task before us and to be our resurrection power.
Faith Defined:
So to have faith is: to believe unto obedience and in doing so showing allegiance to or loyalty to something with fidelity, as in being fully faithful to it to the point of exactness
What Is Works?
Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.
Aristotle
If we want the perfection of God to be seen in our works, then we must serve God with a mindset of:
It is our privilege to serve God (we don’t serve him begrudgingly).
The Joy of the Lord is our strength.
By living a life of Thanksgiving (serving God with a “heart of thanksgiving”)
Counting our blessings.
If we concentrate on the negatives all the time, the positives will never be seen.
They make the claim that baptism is an act of works and therefor cannot be considered as necessary
This is a bit of a contradiction to their statement of “Grace through Faith in Christ” and in our putting on of Christ.
Since Faith and obedience go hand in hand…
Baptism is a commandment that we must obey and therefor is not a work of evil or a work of our own merit, but rather, a work of righteousness through obedience.
which brings into clear focus this scripture:
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
I believe we put on Christ through baptism making baptism not a work of the flesh but a putting on of Christ.....a true spiritual transformation.
Baptism is the natural course of faith and obedience to the word and is being a partaker of his death (being buried with him) Putting on Christ in the application of the blood (the cleansing and the redemption)
This is why Mark 16 says it the way that it does
A man once argued about the way this scripture stated this point:
So the “Helmet of Salvation” is our hope of glory.
And what is our hope? It is in Jesus Christ (His death, burial and resurrection)
More specifically…the infilling of the Holy Spirit which is (Christ in us)our resurrection power
The bible goes on to say, not by works of righteousness that we have done meaning: not by our own righteousness but rather according to the righteousness of God through obedience to his word.
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
by the washing of regeneration which is through baptism, and renewing of the Holy Ghost which is through the infilling of the spirit.
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
The bible tells us that this type of works is absolutely necessary in that faith without works is dead being alone.
This means that without good works or works of righteousness (Obedience)..not our righteousness but his…our faith is dead…meaning we don’t have any faith and are not in obedience to God.
Works is indeed the outward sign of Obedience and loyalty to God....an outward sign of our faith.
The point must be made that we are appointed unto good works…in that being the outward sign of an inward change.
but the Holy Ghost is not given by any works that we have done or in any way by anything within ourselves (it is the gift of God)
We must establish that the bible talks about both, works of evil and works of righteousness.
Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
This is saying that Cain was acting in his own righteousness of evil meaning, in his own way and not God’s way or in the right way.
Because his works where evil....His heart was evil as well.
Whereas Abel was acting in a truly righteous way....as in God’s way unto obedience.
Therefor, because Abel’s works where righteous, it was an indication that his heart was righteous as well
From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Obedience Leads to Works
Who could ask for anything clearer or more straightforward than James’ blessed words concerning obedience? They are crystal clear!
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Our faith is made perfect by our works…they are hand in hand, inseparable.
This scripture so precisely points out that through faith we pursue God and that faith alone cannot save us without what is needful (without the Holy Spirit)
As well as the fact that works is an outward representation of what is in our hearts and that faith without works is dead....obedience will show forth the abundance of our hearts.
Surely nobody has the slightest doubt about what this means? Without obedience and works following our faith. it is useless, absolutely useless!
You can think what you want, say what you want and believe what you want — obedience, faith and works is what counts!
No salvation without it. No further progress without it. Not a single step further on the way of life without these.
God gives grace, but for what purpose? Precisely for this one reason: obedience and faith unto good works!
Irrespective of what you say or do, irrespective of what stage you are at, know this: the only thing that counts in the end is the balance of obedience, faith and works. Signs of the believer.
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
We can strongly see that genuine submission and surrender to God, by definition, includes a pattern of obedience, Faith and Works.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
In other words, whosoever is obedient to the word of God is like a wise man that built his house upon a rock.....That rock is none other than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ....
He is that solid rock.
The only firm foundation which will allow this house to stand.
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We are saved by the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the power of God unto salvation through the Holy Spirit.
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
In this, Paul is pointing out that we are saved by the gospel which is, in his words “That Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures”
Death: Repentance
Burial: water baptism
Resurrection: Infilling of the Holy Ghost
Never set a man to work he is not prepared for, for he will never do it well
There is a song we sing: Oh Lord prepare me, to be a sanctuary......