Saved by faith
Saved by faith: Works play no part in your salvation
Luke is the only one of the four gospel writers to record the words of two condemned criminals, on a cross next to Jesus. About to die, the two thieves on either side of the Saviour have an argument about how to get out of their situation. One shouts: “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us” (Luke 23:39). The other one reprimands him, acknowledging that the two of them deserve the punishment they have received, but “this man”, Jesus, has done nothing wrong. He then utters these words:
42Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. – Luke 23:42
Jesus’ response is absolutely stunning:
43Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. – Luke 23:43
Here we have a situation of two persons, both criminals, and about to die in their sins, presumably having lived lives where the concepts of faith and religion played no part. The difference is in the last moments these two men had. One continues to curse; the other realises his predicament, and that this man in the middle is the only one that can give him an escape. He cries out that Jesus must remember him when He comes into his kingdom. Jesus goes much further than that – not only will He remember the sinner on the cross, but this very day, he would be in paradise, with Jesus!
Our argument could be: Hang on, this guy did nothing to deserve to have the honour to be the first person to be with Jesus in heaven after His death. He never confessed his sins, he was not baptised, he did not belong to a church, he did not tithe, he did not pray. Indeed, seen in the light of how the modern-day church operates, and expects their members to do, he did and had nothing to deserve eternal life.
Except faith. This is what saved him.
Fast forward many years, and we have the account of Paul, a Jesus hater, and one who did his best to stamp out the new faith. After his miraculous conversion, he becomes the principal proclaimer of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Again, we have a situation similar to the man on the cross. Paul never had the chance to pray a sinners’ prayer. In a moment, on that road to Damascus, the reality of Jesus Christ struck him, and he was changed forever.
In his letter to the churches in Galatia, Paul makes this statement:
15We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. – Galatians 2:15-16
While the Jews, the very people that Paul used to associate with and whose doctrine he once followed to the letter, even if it meant killing believers, are stuck in a salvation of faith and works, Paul bluntly tells them that works have no part to play in the process of salvation. There is no justification in works, but we are justified only by faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing you could ever do can earn salvation. Senseless rituals, reciting prayers, believing in purgatory, confessing to a priest – none of these can save you. Only faith. Paul reaffirms this in his letter to the Ephesians:
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9
He states that your salvation is by grace through faith only. However, once you have been saved, works become part of the rest of your walk as a believer. We cannot claim to be believers when, after conversion (which includes the process of justification), there is no effort on our side to live lives worthy of Him to associate with us and be in us. (See the article Abide in Me for more information.) There will be a day when every believer has to account for what they did while on Earth, living as believers. What you did or did not do prior to your salvation is not part of this as everything is made new at conversion:
17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17
The old things have passed away, but what matters now is what you have done to promote Jesus Christ and the gospel of salvation through Him alone, in your life. Your salvation is not at stake anymore as you have been eternally saved, by grace, through faith. However, the rewards in store for those who have served Jesus while on Earth will be great. This morning, while praying outside in the dark, I imagined how Paul would have seen the stars, even better than I see them now. But this would have been while he was on a mission to some far-off destination. He would not have travelled alone of course. That would just be too dangerous. Yet the entire party would have been in danger from wild animals, robbers lying in wait for passers-by, the cold of west Asian winters, hunger, thirst, or the perils of travelling by sea in those days. This is how he describes it:
24Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. – 2 Corinthians 11:24-27
He will surely be richly rewarded for his efforts. However, without salvation through faith, none of this would have helped Paul in any way. Salvation comes through faith first, then the rest should follow showing your gratitude. Before you were saved, what was your contribution towards your salvation? Nothing. Since then, however, what have you done so that you will hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23)?
Conclusion
This week, be thankful for the fact that on your own, you could never earn your salvation, even if you worked for it each day. You are saved by faith, just as Paul was saved by faith, and millions of others have been, are now, and will be in future. Jesus alone made it possible.