Faith or Works?

Dear Weekly Readers! God’s Peace!

Today our article is by Pastor Mark Matson.
May God Bless your week! John R.

Faith or Works?

In other words, Christianity or religion?
Saved or lost? This important doctrine is the difference between heaven and hell,
eternal life and eternal death.

Ephesians 2:8- 10 says, 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.

Martin Luther, in his Introduction to Romans, brings clearness to this doctrine: "Faith is not that human notion that some hold for faith. Because they see that no betterment of life and no good works
follow it, and yet they can hear and say much about faith, they fall into error and say, 'Faith is not enough; one must do works in order to be righteous and be saved.' This is the reason that, when they hear the Gospel, they fall-to and make for themselves, by their own powers, an idea in their hearts which says, 'I believe.' This they hold for true. But it is the human imagination and idea that never reaches the depths of the heart, and so nothing comes of it and no betterment follows it.

"Faith, however, is a divine work in us. It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God (John 1); it kills the old Adam and makes altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind and powers, and it brings with it the Holy Ghost. Oh, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith; and so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly. It does not ask whether there are good works to do, but before the question rises, it has already done them, and is always at the doing of them. He who does not
these works is a faithless man. He gropes and looks about after faith and good works, and knows neither what faith is nor what good works are, though he talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works.

"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times. This confidence in God’s grace and knowledge of it makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and all His creatures; and this is the work of the Holy Ghost in faith. Hence a man is ready and glad, without compulsion, to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, in love and praise, quite as impossible as to separate the heat and light of fires. Beware,
therefore, of your own false notions and idle talkers, who would be wise enough to make decisions about faith and good works and yet are the greatest fools. Pray God to work faith in you, else you will remain forever without faith, whatever you think or do."

The Bible says in Philippians 2:12, 13: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

What God has done will stand forever, as Jesus has said, "Without me you can do nothing (John 15:5)," as one who has learned that in all things He might (must) have the preeminence
(Colossians 1:18), and continues to learn. May God richly bless each of you as you do the work of the Lord, in and by the faith of Christ, which works by (because of) love, His love.

God's peace, Pastor Mark Matson Pasco, Washington