Posted on by Abe Austin

Faith vs Works- One More Type of Good Works

Yesterday I shared about general good works that cultivate our faith in God and Jesus Christ. These are the everyday things that we feel we should do in our conscience. When we do those things, it increases the good in the world and transforms our hearts to be more dedicated to the Lord. This is a very important category of good works, but it is not the only one.

Ordinances and Sacraments)

To ancient Israel God gave a great number of laws and rituals. There were specific customs that had to be observed, sacrifices that had to be made, and holy days that had to be remembered. Of course, when Jesus came, he fulfilled these rituals, and they were done away with, but we are mistaken if we assume that that means that there are no more essential rituals that still apply to us today. Just as Christ’s church brought an end to observing the sabbath on the last day of the week and replaced it with a sabbath on the first day, so too, new mandatory rituals were introduced in place of the old ones.

This is the second category of good works that we must recognize. We don’t just have the things that are generally good for cultivating our faith, we also have mandatory rituals that are essential steps in our salvation. Some traditions may refer to these as “sacraments,” some as “ordinances,” some as “mysteries,” and some as “rites.” The most universal and familiar of these special rituals is baptism.

Sola Fide)

Of course, not every Christian tradition recognizes the existence of ordinances/sacraments that are necessary for salvation. They essentially collapse general good works (prayer, scripture study, service) and essential works (baptism) together as one.

However, we have already shared in this series how the words of Jesus refutes this. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned,”(Mark 16:15-16). Jesus explicitly states that being baptized is a prerequisite for salvation.

This leads us back to our original tension. If there are certain ordinances that are essential for salvation, then how can Paul say, “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,” (Ephesians 2:8-9)?

Well, one answer to that is that just because a work is required for salvation does not mean that it earns our way into heaven. Notice in Paul’s statement that faith isn’t what is really saving us either. It is grace. Thus, faith and necessary works are actually at the same level of essential but non-saving. Both are commanded of God, but neither is sufficient to gain entry into heaven. We can perform all the ordinances and have all the faith, and thus be eligible for salvation, but we’re still not saved by anything but grace. Just like I might have all the requirements and qualities listed on a job application, and thus be eligible for being hired, but I’m still not hired by anything but the bestowal of the employer.

Now, at this point a person might still have some questions or concerns. For example, what about all those who died without an opportunity for baptism? We will get to those matters in tomorrow’s post, but for now, I want to emphasize the importance of accepting the words of scripture without prior bias. If Paul says that we are saved by grace through faith, believe it. If Jesus says that baptism is a required work for salvation, believe it. If we don’t know how to resolve those two yet, that’s okay. Let us accept some initial confusion and uncertainty and embrace the unknown. Surely that is better than throwing away one half of scripture or the other!

Posted on by Abe Austin

Faith vs Works- One Type of Good Works

Thus far I have been talking about “works” as only one category, but it is actually two. To avoid confusion, I thought I should take a moment to describe these categories, and how each relates to our personal salvation. Today I will examine one type, and tomorrow the other.

Faith-Building Good Works)

The first category of good works is when we do something just because it is a good thing to do. Helping others in need, telling the truth, giving up our vices, singing songs of praise, praying, and other activities like these all fall into this first category.

These practices are important because they help to build our faith in the Almighty. Indeed, they are inseparable from faith. We are motivated to do them by what faith we have and doing them increases our faith over time.

It should be noted, actions like these are available to all people, regardless of their religion. A Hindu from the 7th century could dedicate to himself to good works, and by it develop a heart that is committed to cosmic, universal truth, the same as a modern-day devout Christian. All people can cultivate a soul that is fit for alignment with the author of all good, simply by listening to their conscience and doing as it dictates.

Are These Works necessary?

So, are good works like these necessary for salvation? Well, as we have already noted, these types of works are inseparable with developing our faith in the creator, and in making our hearts submissive to His will, so in a sense, yes. Without these works, we likely won’t be able to accept our Lord and Savior, because our hearts will not have been softened.

But, in another sense, the specific good works are not individually mandatory. Imagine that one man devotes himself to the study of God’s word, hungering for the knowledge of the divine, and by it cultivates a faithful and willing heart, while another man depends primarily on acts of service to keep himself humble and dedicated to the greater good. It is conceivable that while these men grew their faith through different good works, that both will be welcomed with open arms by the Lord. Not because of the specific work they performed, but because of how the work cultivated their faith.

We cannot quantify the significance of each good work. We cannot count the number of prayers offered or the number of hours served and judge a soul by those figures. And of course, no amount of these good works is sufficient to earn a place in heaven.

Thus, believing that good works saves us is wrong. But also thinking that we are saved by faith, and not works, is also wrong. Both views make a categorical error. They both assume that faith and works are separate, when really, they are two sides of the same coin.

We do need to do good works, and we are saved by faith. Both of those conditions are satisfied together. We do good works as part of growing our faith, and having faith in Christ, we become well-aligned to His kingdom and can then be saved by His grace.

Thus, we should tell all people to listen to their conscience and do the work it tells them to do. But they should do it to purify their hearts and to propagate God’s good in the world, with no thought of heavenly transaction. They should do it with their focus on what they are becoming, not on where they are going. They should do good works to be more like Jesus and then leave to Jesus the matter of their salvation.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Faith vs Works- Two More Common Myths

In the last post we broke down two of the common myths in the faith vs works debate. Arguments that would have us believe that it really has to be just one or the other. Today I want to address two more, to really make clear that the scriptures do not teach us to take part in this feud.

Myth #1: All you have to do is confess the name of Jesus, accept him as your Lord and Savior, and then you are saved.

It is remarkable that people can say this, when Jesus, himself, explicitly denounced it!

“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,” (Matthew 7:21).

In that one passage, Jesus makes it clear that calling on his name is not enough, and he immediately follows it up by calling for actual works, doing the will of the Father.

Consider what this myth would say of the Good Samaritan. Obviously, he is a fictional character but think how this principle would apply to the man if he were real. The Good Samaritan is, as his name suggests, good. And he is good because he does good. Because he stops to save the life of a stranger. He is not called good because of his faith in the accepted theology, though. Being a Samaritan, it is implied that he holds heretical beliefs. Thus, the Good Samaritan did good works, even though he believed wrong things. Would we really say that such a man couldn’t be saved because he lacked the correct faith?

Myth #2: Those that have died without performing the essential rituals are damned, even if they had no opportunity to do so.

This is the extreme that works-focused theology can go to. A theology that would deny salvation for the vast majority of God’s children for no other reason than that they lived in the wrong time or place, and thus never even heard the name of Jesus, and therefore never took part in the necessary ordinances or sacraments. It discounts every saintly person who served the greater good in their heart, but never through the proper channels.

This theology would also deny salvation to the Good Samaritan. It might applaud the good works that he did, but he still didn’t do perform the correct ordinances, so that isn’t enough.

Now, to be clear, I actually do think that there are ordinances that are required for salvation, but rather than assuming the damnation of all those that lacked the opportunity to take part, I assume that there must be some divine plan, some grace and allowance that will bridge that gap to those who never had the gospel but would have accepted it.

Unholy Agreement)

We have looked at the most egregious outcomes faith-only and works-only models for salvation. The two at first seemed to be polar opposites but note how they actually come to the same conclusion. Each could look at a great person, one who had devoted his life to serving truth and good, who had served his fellowman all his days, “yes, you were very good, but you were not good in the right way, so you are going to hell.” Each tries to gatekeep heaven in the most uncharitable way.

I think that there is just one more point of clarification that I would like to make on the nature of good works tomorrow, and then after that we will start to explore a theological explanation that satisfies all of the scriptures we have seen. One that both allows God to make mandatory requirements of us, but which acknowledges that we all need grace, and which offers mercy to those who never had an opportunity to worship God “the right way.”

Posted on by Abe Austin

Faith vs Works- Two Common Myths

Over the past two days I have shared a collection of verses that establish both that salvation is by grace, through faith, and also that works and ordinances are essential to our salvation. Too often I hear people take up just one side or the other, sharing the verses that support that view, and ignoring those for the other side.

Over the next two days, I would like to further break down the walls between these two camps by dispelling the common myths that each one makes. By the end of this, I hope to have established an understanding that we must seek a theology that embraces all of God’s word, not just half of it. Let us look at two of the broader myths today and focus on two othes tomorrow.

Myth #1: The reason for the different perspectives in the Bible is because this was one of the first schisms in the early church. Paul and James had different theologies, and we must align with whichever one of them was “right” and abandon the other.

It is true that Paul leans much more heavily on faith in his teachings, and James on works, but it would not be accurate to say that Paul denies the need for good works, or that James denies the need for faith. People have cherry-picked their verses to create the illusion of opposing sides, but both apostles held a wider view of the gospel that encompassed both perspectives.

From James: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him, (James 5:15).

From Paul: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).

Not only this, but if we just look at the words of Christ, himself, we find statements that make clear the primacy of both faith and works.

If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).

And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace, (Luke 7:50).

So never matter what differing opinions the early church fathers did or didn’t have, even Jesus put top emphasis on both faith and works. There is no way to be in alignment with him unless we are willing to fully embrace both.

Myth #2: We are saved by faith/grace, but the evidence of it is in our works. Thus, both will be present in the truly saved soul, but one takes precedent over the other.

While it is certainly true that both faith and works must be present in the saved soul, it does not seem appropriate to put faith in a more fundamental place than works, or to say that works merely follow faith.

If this were the case, then no specific work would be considered essential for salvation. If you had sincere faith and did good works generally, that would be enough. But that is not what we see in the words of Jesus. He called people to do specific works as direct requirements for their salvation.

Jesus told the rich ruler that the one thing he lacked was selling all of his belongings, giving to the poor, and following him. Clearly the man already had faith, but Jesus prescribed for him a specific work to make his journey complete.

Jesus told his disciples that “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). That is clearly a requirement for faith and an ordinance. He did not say, “he that believeth and does something good, like being baptized for example, shall be saved.” He is specific on both belief and baptism, suggesting that each is a necessary part of one’s spiritual foundation. We must have a theology that elevates both equally.

Tomorrow we will look at a couple more myths that do not agree with the written word of God. We will put them to rest, and then we can move on to finding a solution that actually satisfies all of our theological needs.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Faith vs Works- The Problem

A Seeming Contradiction)

Jesus taught, “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,” (Matthew 7:21). Clearly, simply confessing Jesus as your savior and relying on faith is not sufficient to be saved. As Jesus says, we have to do the will of his Father. We must rely on good works.

Oh wait, but in the very next verses Jesus says, “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,” (Matthew 7:22-23). In these verses, the people are describing the good works that they did in his name, yet they too are rejected. So maybe the works aren’t that important?

It does occur to me, that Jesus might possibly be describing two different groups of people here. Perhaps he saw our very day, where we have people that claim salvation by faith alone, and other people who claim salvation by their works, and in these verses, he calls both out as hypocrites and refutes both their theologies.

It certainly does not seem a good thing how this faith vs works debate has divided believers for thousands of years. Could it be that Satan fosters divisions such as this between the believers, goading each side to entrench more firmly on their own false belief, while all the while there was a simple truth that could have unified both camps?

Both Essential)

In this study, I will consider the scriptures that have caused the most confusion and division on the matter, the insufficient attempts that have been made to reconcile them, and finally I will illustrate how the LDS practice of proxy ordinances for the dead fully accounts for both views. I should point out that not every reader will be able to accept that solution, due to theological differences. Even so, I do think it will still be instructive for those readers to dive into this conundrum and start to wonder whether it is possible for there to be some solution to it.

I do believe that God’s word is true, and that if Jesus and his disciples made two different assertions, then we should assume that both of those assertions are true. If the two assertions seem contradictory, then rather than assume that one of them is wrong, we should assume that it is our perspective and interpretation of them that is off. Perhaps we need to think bigger, or change our view, or look through a different lens, that we may properly see how the two truths align in one.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Calloused Hearts- 2 Kings 5:10-11, 13-14

And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

COMMENTARY

But Naaman was wroth, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper
I mentioned yesterday that when I pray for a fire in my heart, God usually responds with a prompting of something good I should do. As it turns out I have a specific and recent example of this.
I shared recently about my desire to gain a healthier relationship with food and my body.
But when I tried to force that healthier lifestyle on myself things backfired. I became more unhealthy and I felt this calloused heart grow within me. I lost my burning to be my best self. I kept praying for God to wake up my heart, to change me so that I could just do the right things again, to win this fight for me. But I still wasn’t getting anywhere, and that was the whole reason I began this very study.
When I read these verses from 2 Kings I realized that Naaman is a perfect example for my feelings. I had faith, I asked for what I was supposed to ask for, I thought God would come out and give me the cure! So now I felt bitter instead.

My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
I can also relate to Naaman that if there was not an immediate, miraculous healing, then at least I would expect some great sacrifice or test to unlock the blessings I sought. I asked God what He needed from me and then listened for something large and related to my physical health…but He didn’t ask for that.
Then, while listening to a sermon in Church this Sunday, I finally understood. Praying and asking for a vibrant heart was only half the recipe. I needed to meet it with a deliberate, good action. Not some epic sacrifice, though, just one of those small, little things that seem of no consequence, but which we feel in our hearts are just right to do. Ask for help, show my faith by my works, and God could work with that.
I’m only three days into this new approach but it already feels more pure and more effective. I went through all the things that I’ve felt I ought to be doing but could take care of later, and started implementing them now. Things like getting to bed on time, removing distractions from work, and getting the house clean. These have very little to do with changing my relationship to food, but everything to do with repairing my relationship to God. And already the desire to do all other good things is growing within me. I would say that I have dipped in the river Jordan once, but like Naaman this is going to take multiple washings.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Calloused Hearts- James 2:17-18, 26

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.
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

COMMENTARY

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also
Yesterday I shared how we can only be made alive through Christ, and that means we need to be a part of Christ, and that means we are actively striving to live a Christ-like life every day. There are other factors, of course, such as the all-important role of grace, but our personal striving is a very real piece of the puzzle.
Which James further emphasizes in today’s verses: faith without works is dead.
We can and should pray to God for a fire to be lit in our hearts. We should show our faith by inviting Him to plant an active desire to do good within us. We should trust that He can remake us so that choosing the right becomes an easy and pleasant experience.
But in my life it seems that He often does not often pour that spiritual fire into my heart right away. He usually takes that prayer of faith and responds by giving me a small choice. Perhaps a twinge of conscience for something simple and good to do right then and there. And I’m sorry to say that sometimes I haven’t taken the invitation. The simple good action I am being offered seems disconnected from the greater good I was asking for the strength to do, and so I overlook it. And then my faith is separated from my works and my heart is left feeling dead.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Faith vs Fear- James 2:17-18, 22; Ether 12:18

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.
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God.

COMMENTARY

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Faith may require believing in something unseen, but is not meant to remain unseen. We believe in God and that compels us to do something. Then we see the miracle that comes of it. Faith will always push us to action, and in the performance of that action the invisible faith is conjured up into the observable world. Faith without works would mean that the perfection of faith, the manifestation of the miracle, never occurs. Hence why faith without works is dead.

And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith
The existence of God’s miracles in our lives depends on our being willing to exercise faith. To doubt the existence of miracles is a self-fulfilling prophecy, for then faith will not be exercised and no miracle will be seen. By our own choice we either live in a world of faith and miracles, or else in a world of fear and mortal limitations.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Sow and Then Reap- James 2:17-18, Ephesians 2:8, 2 Nephi 25:23

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.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

COMMENTARY

Faith, if it hath not works, is dead
By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God
There is a famous debate in the Christian world, whether our works are necessary for us to be saved or not. Surely none of us believe that we “earn” our way into heaven, but doesn’t God expect something from us? James tells us that “faith without works is dead,” which suggests that works are necessary for the cultivation of faith, if nothing else. Meanwhile Paul told the Ephesians that they were saved by grace through faith (which remember James says exists by our works), though he stressed that that only came as a “gift from God.”

It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do
But rather than debate about which of these scriptures is wrong, why not accept that both of them can be true? Going back to our farmer analogy, the sower needs to do his part to plow the soil, plant the seed, and fend off the weeds, but still he depends on God to bring the rain, prevent the early frost, and divert the insects and diseases. More than anything he depends on God to even put the miracle of growth into the seed to begin with.
We do need to do our part. We need that sense of having put in our all. We need to try and fail and try again and feel ourselves becoming better. We need to overcome, surmount, and triumph.
And then, after all that, we need to be in awe of the fact that none of it is enough without grace. Our obedience is simply how we open the door to allow for God’s grace to bring us to heaven. And who appreciates the grace of God more than those who run out all their strength, falls short, and then feel God carry them the rest of the way? That is faith and grace.