Bible Question: will the act of treating people with kindness and doing good work help save us referring to Ephesians 2:8-9 |
Bible Answer: nae-nae 04 -- Nay, nay to your question :-) Works do not save, help to save, or keep one saved. You cited Eph. 2:8,9 as a basis for your question. These two verses lay down core teaching about how God saves sinners: The passage teaches (1) that God is in charge of salvation; (2) that it comes about by an act of God's grace; (3) that sinners can come to God only through the instrumentality of faith; (4) that this saving faith must be placed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God; (5) that salvation is the gift of God and does not come as a result of works. ..... Now, let's extend your reference point by one more verse. Look at verse 10: "For we are His worksmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." In verse 8 the Apostle has laid it down in clear language that salvation is a gift offered by the grace of God alone and comes about by faith alone in Christ alone. In verse 9 the Apostle re-emphasizes what he said in v.8 about salvation being a gift of God. He does this by saying in clear and direct language that this salvation he's talking about is not given to you because you have been a good person -- "there is no one who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:10) -- and helped old ladies across the street and been a loving parent and spouse. No, the Apostle says, this salvation we're talking about has nothing to do with your works, and so please understand that not one of you has any reason whatever to boast that God saved you because you were such a good person. The Apostle is telling the Ephesians something like this, "Look, your righteous deeds are like filthy rags to the Holy God (Isaiah 64:6). No matter how good you try to be, your good works won't get you saved. You need a Savior (Isaiah 53:6). Only Christ can save you because of His finished work on the Cross. (Acts 4:12) This salvation is God's gift of grace. Therefore, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). ....... Now, in verse 10, the Apostle explains the relationship between saving faith and works, between justification -- the experience of a guilty sinner receiving the position of righteousness before God, made possible only on the basis of the individuals personal faith in the work of Christ -- and sanctification -- the work of the Holy Spirit in setting a man apart for Jesus Christ at his conversion and the continued work of the Holy Spirit in the believer which results in increasing holiness. In v. 10 the Apostle answers the question, What comes after salvation?...what does the Lord want us to do after we are saved? He says, "for we are His worksmanship" -- the Greek word sometimes has the connotation of a "work of art." God poured his mighty creative genius into us, the Apostle is saying. We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). God's sovereign purpose and planning (see Chapter 1 of Eph.) which He prepared beforehand is this: that we are His workmanship, His 'work of art', created in Christ Jesus for good works. It is therefore His plan that you walk in these good works. The Apostle makes this point immediately in the wake of his discussion of how salvation comes about (verses 8,9). Note how he unfolds his points, his logical sequence. The sinner is saved by grace through faith. (v.8) Works have nothing to do with it. (v. 9). The regenerated believer is created in Christ Jesus for good works (v. 10). SUMMARY: Works follow salvation as an attestation to our faith (James 2:18), but works do not contribute in any way to salvation, neither in attaining it nor in keeping it, and neither yet to "losing" it. (Eph. 2:9). --Hank |