And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 1 Corinthians 15:49

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Not Of Works!

For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph. 2:8,9.

This quote is one that most Christians are familiar with, and moreso, many have put it to memory. It is a verse that I have written and expounded about many times, even within earlier blog posts. Most of my emphasis has been on the subject of grace, and oh what an unsearchable and glorious subject it is!

However, this time I am compelled to write about a different part of the verse, and that is works! I say I am compelled because it was recently that this topic came into my thoughts, and presented a completely different way of looking at the meaning of the word, "works"!

 The way I have always heard it explained until now, and the way I have always understood it to mean is that we are not saved by our works, or our good deeds. All of the money we give to charity, all of the people we help, all of the kindness we show are all works that will not count as a substitute for grace to gain any measure of acceptance for our salvation. And indeed that is true. We cannot reject grace and expect that we can do anything of our own self effort to merit salvation.

All of that is true, and yet what I began to see in a different way is that perhaps the works that is refered to in this verse is actually the "works of the Law"! Do you see the difference? The works of the Law is the effort to keep the 10 Commandments. Grace, and the Law are diametrically opposed to each other, and this view adds strength to the verse.

Romans 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds (works) of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

And again in Galatians 2:16 "Knowing 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."

Something very few Christians realize is that the Law of Moses, or the 10 Commandments were never written to, nor meant for, anyone other than the Jewish nation before the time of Christ, and neither were they written with the expectation that they could be kept! Let me say that again, and you can even go back and re read this as many times as necessary until it sinks into the deep recesses of your Spirit, you were never expected to nor required to keep the 10 Commandments! In fact, trying to keep the Law is an offense to God! And yet, do not most churches teach some form of such obedience?

The fact is that hidden within each law itself is the desire to break that law, which the natural man is subjected to not willingly. Romans 5:20 "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:"

This is what Paul is explaining here in Romans 7:7,8 "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, worked in me all manner of covetousness. For without the law sin was dead."

I first saw this principle so clearly by something I read from Jeff Priddy, whose pen name is known as Martin Zender. He pointed out that a Christian's obsession with displaying the 10 Commandments everywhere would have the opposite effect of what was intended, and actually create a bunch of law breakers instead! It is within the natural man to reject Grace, and to try to save themselves by their own efforts, and when they cannot, it only builds frustration and anger at a God who they see as harsh and unloving for such high demands, or they become very religious and like the Pharisees, full of self righteousness!

So, we come back to the beginning, and once again declare that For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

And so what happens to the 10 Commandments? What part do they play? Well much more can be said than this post would permit, but let me just say that for the Christian, Grace turns them into Promises! Instead of being a commandment to obey, they become a character of your New Creation Being! Instead of "Thou shalt not", it becomes, "You will not", because it is not in your nature to do otherwise!" (And you thought nothing really happened when you prayed for Jesus to come into your life :-))!!!

Does that not make sense to you? Do you now see Grace as something much more marvelous than you did before? Oh, it is even more wonderful than you can imagine even now! More wonderful than mere mortal words can explain. It is Grace that makes you a new creation! It is Grace that changes your nature! It is Grace that gives you the desire to live a life pleasing to God! And it is Grace that gives you the strength to accomplish that desire!

Grace is more than just "unmerrited favor". In the Strongs Concordance if memory serves me correctly, and I think it does.... the meaning for Grace is as follows. "Divine influence upon the heart, and the reflection in the life." Grace is the process of God influencing your heart, and that influence being reflected in the way you live your life!

These are the kinds of posts I like to write. The ones where I can share something new that I never saw before, that gives me joy in knowing more truth. And what a mind boggling truth it is when seen with greater clarity how much more glorious Grace is when we look at how much it is Not Of  Works!

1 comment:

  1. My good friend wished to post this comment, but could not, so I am posting it for him.

    Really great explanation and insight, Keith. We have spent so much time under the nature of the natural man it must be replaced with that mind of Christ that sees as He sees. I find myself constantly disturbed as I walk through the moments of each day. When I stop and ponder why I am disturbed it is invariably because I have fallen back into the thoughts of the old nature. Once I see this I am reminded that His nature is to rule within me and I turn my thoughts to be again submissive to His mind within and I feel the weight lift. We know it is a process. I must come to the place where the overlying, dominant thought process within is to think with His mind rather than the old nature. So simple and yet so difficult when this mind and body of mine become tired! He will cause us to grow: He must increase as I do decrease. Great writing, Brother!
    Roy

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