“Trusting in Jesus produces good Works” Author and Writer Ronald Nelson

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9;

ENCOURAGING WORD:

One of the most mistaught doctrine in Christianity is salvation. Trusting in Jesus should produce good works if your conversion is sincere. Good works does not produce salvation. I know a couple of Atheists that are the nicest people that I know, but they are obviously not going to heaven unless they repent and turn to Jesus. The Bible makes it perfectly clear how we are saved, but yet the mainline denominations have their own concept of how one is saved. The verse in the Bible meditation above says it all and the debate should be over. It says that we are saved by Grace, not by works. I’m going to share verses of the Bible that make it very clear that good works does not save us.

Ephesians 2:4-10; “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Notice it says that we are saved for good works, not by good works. Ephesians 2:8–9 is an extremely popular passage of Scripture. Since those two verses are so often quoted, many miss out on verse 10 when seeking to understand God's salvation by grace through faith. However, this important statement offers tremendous insight into what God desires after salvation. God calls us His workmanship or His artwork, from the Greek word poiēma. We are something crafted, with skill and a purpose, by God, for His purposes. Specifically, we are "created in Christ Jesus for good works." Good works does not save us, but they are absolutely meant as a  result of being saved by grace. Interestingly, God prepared what He wanted us to do for Him long ago. He has already planned what He wants us to do with our lives. We do not need to copy what someone else has done or is doing. He has a unique plan for each of us to serve Him in this world. This includes certain spiritual gifts and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to lead us in service to Him. It is up to us weather we choose to live the life God chose for us or do we want to do it our own way. How did that work for Elvis Presley? God created us for a purpose, but He will not force us to follow His plan, it is a free choice. Let’s move on to another verse.

Romans 5:8-9; “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” 

Once again, it says that we are justified by His blood, nothing said about good works. “Having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” The way that we are justified is by Christ's blood, by His death for our sin on the cross. When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it is then, just as if you have never sinned. Only Grace can wash away your sins. In fact, Paul has shown that there is no other way to become right with God than by Christ's death for us. Since that is true, Paul writes that it is even more true that we will be saved by Christ from the wrath of God. I believe the word wrath in this text is referring to the second half of the tribulation period where Gods wrath will be poured out on all those that took the mark of the beast. God wrath will not be poured out on those that came to Christ during this time. They will, however, suffer persection from the Antichrist during this time, but it won't be from Gods wrath. This also includes those that were removed prior to the tribulation through the rapture of the church. These two groups will not suffer the wrath of God. Read this short verse that speaks volumes if you understand what is being said.

1 Thessalonians 5:9; “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” This verse is referring to those that have been save by grace before the rapture of the church and those that have been saved during the tribulation period. Two distinct different groups. We have the pre-trib saints ‘those that were born again before the rapture” and the tribulation saints, those that came to Christ during the tribulation. Again, two distinctly different groups.  

In the following verse, Paul puts it in terms that we should be able to understand. Romans 11:6; “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”

Here Paul states what grace means. He wants to dispel any notion that any person can stand with God because of their own works. They can’t. Grace means receiving an unearned gift. It is always given and never paid for. The idea that a person's work—such as keeping the law—could in some way contribute to receiving God's grace is a self-contradicting idea. If that were possible, grace would not be grace, Paul writes. You can’t have it both ways. You are saved by grace, or you will stand before Jesus at the “White Throne Judgment” where you will be judged for every sin that you ever committed because you didn’t accept what Jesus did for you on the cross. Your destination will have been determined if you are present at this judgment.  No if, and, or buts about it. Those who understand, know that we cannot be saved by good works. We can only come to God by faith in Christ. While this verse is meant to prove a point about God and people in general, it also draws a clear line in terms of theology. There is no gray area between works-based salvation and grace-based salvation. None. Any dependence on works—adherence to the law, undergoing rituals, performing sacraments, or good deeds—is a rejection of grace. This is an often-resisted truth, but it is the clear teaching of Scripture. If works, in any sense, contribute to salvation, then that salvation is no longer "by grace." Paul's point, here, is that because salvation is, in fact by grace, works have absolutely zero part to play in securing it. You can’t pay for something that is given to you as a gift. If you do, then it is not a gift. Jesus gave us the gift of grace, if you refuse His gift and try to pay for it, it is no longer a gift that you will benefit from. 

Now, with this in mind, read again what I wrote for the opening topic. “Trusting in Jesus produces good Works.” When you become born again and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, good works should obviously follow. If it doesn’t, then your commitment to Christ is in vain. Read the following Bible verse with understanding. 1 Corinthians 15-1-2;  Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”

This applies to those that think they will be saved because they think they have been good enough to get to heaven on their own. When you appear before Jesus, you will either hear the following words, “Well done good and faithful servant”, or you will hear, “depart from me you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:23; “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” The deciding factor will be your relationship with Jesus. Remember, Christianity is not a religion, it is a relationship with Jesus Christ. “End of Story.”

A good analogy is one we’ve all heard at least once in our lives. We say, “don’t put the carriage before the horse.” In the same way, do not put good works before grace. If you put the carriage before the horse, you will go nowhere. In other words, you are stuck where you are at. If you put works before grace, then that does not benefit you in any way. You are stuck in your sin and going nowhere until you receive the free gift of grace. If you feel that you would like to reject grace and try to get to heaven on your own, you won’t be very happy when you stand before Jesus at the white throne judgment. If you stand before Jesus at the white throne Judgment, that means that you have not received grace, and your eternal destination has already been determined. No excuse will be accepted. Your books will be opened and every sin that you have ever committed will be exposed and you will be judged accordingly. Let’s say, for example that you have only committed one sin your whole life, (Which no one can obviously do) you will still stand before Jesus at the White Throne Judgement, and yes you will not enter into heaven. God cannot, and will not allow sinful man to enter His heavenly kingdom. Sin has to be dealt with before you die and the only way is to receive Jesus Christ and what He did for you on the cross, and then become born again into the Holy Spirit. If you are not being taught this in your sect of Christianity, then you are going to be eternally lost, unless you repent of your sins, and turn to Jesus for salvation and follow Him for the rest of your life, which by the way, could be any day.

John 3: 3; “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” I must have quoted this verse more than a hundred times since I have become a born again believer. If you have never heard this verse quoted and taught from the man standing on the pulpit at your church, I would highly suggest you go somewhere where they teach through the whole Bible and not just a few verses of the bible to teach on. If that is the case, then most likely whatever your pastor or priest are teaching on is not what the verse is meant to be understood. Here is a good time for me to ask you this question. “Why would you trust a man or religion that doesn’t teach you the full counsel of God.” I mentioned this once or twice before, unless you are reading through the Bible at your perspective church, you will not be taught Bible prophecy which happens to be about 30% of the Bible. Also, when your pastor or priest teaches from the Old Testament, they are teaching as if it applies to the church, it doesn’t, it applied to the Jews. This huge miscalculation of scripture has led to one of the most dangerous and ridiculous doctrines ever. It goes by the name of Replacement theology or Kingdom now theology. If you believe this false doctrine, then most of the Bible will not make sense to you and your religious sect of the church that you attend, will drag you down the road that leads to destruction. You can’t say that you believe in Jesus Christ and then rebuke His teaching, which once again, happens at the two mainline denominations of Christianity. They aren’t the only two teaching false doctrine, but they are the main ones.

Listen to what the following Bible verse has to say. Matthew 7:13-14; “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

A few means a few! If you belong to one of the two mainline denominations of Christianity, then you are not on the narrow path that leads to life, you are on the wide path that leads to destruction. Understanding the Bible and a little commit sense can go a long way. But, I guess it’s safe to say, “Common sense has left the building” as is the case with the rest of the world, especially where politics is concerned.

Let’s read another verse from the book of Titus. Titus 3:5; “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,”

The phrase "He saved us" specifically implies that God is the source of salvation, a theme common throughout Scripture. This verse also emphasizes how God saves. Being saved is not something we accomplish through our good deeds, but through the mercy of God. Salvation comes only from God, and only through God's mercy. Salvation includes "the washing of regeneration." This refers to the spiritual cleansing which takes place when a person accepts Christ in salvation. At that moment, a person's life is "regenerated," or "made new." The Holy Spirit renews our lives when we come to faith in Christ. This phrase does not imply baptism or an emotional experience. This verse presents a word-picture of people cleansed by God and His grace. It emphasizes the involvement of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is a good example of a passage which is meant to convey a general idea.

There are 100’s of verses in the Bible that make it very clear that we are saved by grace, and grace alone. Let’s continue on with a few more. Galatians 2:16; “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

Many of us tune out when we hear words like "justification." The word sounds theological and "churchy." But we can't be right with God without it, so it matters that we make an effort to understand it. Justified, in Christian theology, simply means "declared righteous." In order to be saved, to be in relationship with a holy God, he must declare us righteous in His eyes. The problem, of course, is that we aren't actually righteous. We are sinful people. So how in the world can God declare us to be righteous?

Romans 3:21-24; “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

The words "but now" that begin this verse may be two of the most important words in all of the Bible. Paul has just said in the previous verse that "by works of the law no human being will be justified" in God's sight. Nobody can keep the law perfectly, and no person lives a life worthy of God's righteousness. Things sounds bleak for us. If even law-followers cannot escape God's angry judgment, what hope do any of us have?

For those that think they might be good enough to earn salvation, listen to this small verse in Romans 3:10; “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; The next verse goes on to say it a little more clearer.

Isaiah 64:6; “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousness’s are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.”

In the Bible, the phrase "filthy rags" is a symbolic description of human righteousness. It's a way of emphasizing how imperfect and inadequate our efforts to be good are compared to God's holiness and righteousness. While "filthy rags" is the common translation, the underlying Hebrew phrase, ukabeged ehdim, literally means "like as rags of a used menstrual clothe highlighting the disgust and unworthiness of our righteousness in God's eyes. If this doesn’t describe how unworthy we are, then you aren’t paying attention.

Now, I’ll end with this thought. We are all going to stand before Jesus Christ one day, either at the Bema Seat of Christ, where all those that have been raptured will receive awards for Godly deeds that they have done in the name of Jesus Christ once they were saved, and those that will stand in judgment at the white throne judgement. You will not be judged by the Pope, Marrtin Luther, Joseph Smith, Buddha, Muhammad or any other religious leaders. What a shock that will be when you see Jesus sitting as the unltimate judge at the White Throne and then you will realize that you have deceived into believing all the lies about salvation. It will then be too late.

If you believe that the Bible is the true and inherent word of God, then read and understand the following Bible verse. If you don’t believe that the Bible is the true and inherent word of God, then there is no hope for you what-so-ever. Philippians 2:9-11; “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name, which is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” You have been warned!

Only you can make that decision, but what you decide will have eternal consequences with out any chance of escape. I’ll end with this, I know that a lot of people despise me for sharing this truth, but know this, I would rather please Jesus and have the world hate me, then to lie to people to make them happy and then have Jesus deny me before the Father.

John 15:18-25; “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master. ’If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.  If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well.  If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.  But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

I’m in very good company!

God Bless you and take care!