FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP
Elder Steve Woods
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).
Would any deny that the child of grace should be careful to maintain good works? I should hope not. If we can agree on this, then let us pursue an undertaking to define just what good works might be. Is going to church a good work? Well, if done from a pure motive, then yes. But, if little Johnny goes kicking and screaming with his mother just to avoid punishment, then we must answer no. What about mowing an afflicted neighbor’s lawn? Again, if to be seen of men, we must answer no; but if from a pure heart, then we say yes. What then determines good works? Does not the Bible hold these answers for us?
Does the Bible give us instruction? Certainly, it does. Then would obeying commands not constitute good works? We think so. We are commanded that if we are to eat then we should work. Obeying this command is a good work. We are commanded to abstain from every appearance of evil and in this day it is truly a good work to do so. God commands men everywhere to repent, and this is a good work. So then, obeying the commands of God are good works.
Does the doing of these things, then, constitute a method of salvation to eternal life? Can we obtain everlasting life and avoid the flames of everlasting punishment by our good works? Certainly, in reading the description of Christ’s return in Matthew 25 when he separates his sheep from the goats, the only difference noticed between the two groups is what they did and did not do. Does this then mean we are saved by our works? Perhaps at first glance it may appear so, but a careful scrutiny of Scripture would demand we answer, “Absolutely not!”
Titus 3:3-7: “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; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour: that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Romans 11:6: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
Now, having established these two premises, namely, that we ought to be careful to maintain good works and that we are not saved by these works, but we are saved freely by his grace, what could be the point of this study? Modern day religious teachings typically assume or assert a condition that one must meet in order to obtain salvation or deliverance from the wrath of God that would include hell (or some type of punishment) and to secure eternal life or gain Heaven as their eternal home. Although they vary concerning what condition(s) must be met, almost all include a requirement that the person must “believe” in Jesus Christ in order to obtain eternal life. (Some add other conditions, but almost all include belief as a requirement in order to secure heaven.) So, please examine this notion in light of the Scripture and the aforementioned logically proven premises.
“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 Jn. 3:23). Would it be a good work to obey this commandment? Certainly, it would. If then, it is a good work to believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, then belief is a work, for how can it be a good work if it be no work at all?
“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (Jn. 6:29). Now, upon being asked, “What shall we do that we might work the works of God,” Jesus plainly told them to believe, to believe on him whom he (God) hath sent. According to the words of Jesus, belief is a work.
Even if you take the position that our belief is the work of God and not our work, it is still works. If you take the first position relative to the verse from John, that it is our works, then we are saved by works. If you take the other horn of the dilemma, then we are saved by God’s work and not by our belief. Now, what does the Bible say?
The Bible teaches us that we are His workmanship, created . . . and thus, as a creation, it can be through no efforts of our own, whether belief or otherwise. It is solely the work of the Creator God (His workmanship, His work), who created us in Christ Jesus unto good works. From The Primitive Baptist/The Christian Pathway, submitted by Elder Mark Green.