Christ Plus Works Equals Nothing

Many Christians may not be aware of how serious it is to add to what Jesus Christ has finished. It could be the difference between whether or not that person is saved or not. The Salvation that God has provided through Jesus Christ is by grace. "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). We can know we are be saved by His faith if we simply believe in Him (Acts 15:11).

In other words, eternal life is not received by, or attained by, or kept by a person's conduct or behavior (works). Render one work to grace and it isn't grace anymore. Add one drop of poison to water and it isn't pure water anymore, but deadly. Jesus didn't condemn people for their sins. He went to the sinners, not the (self-) "righteous". Neither does he come to the "religious acting" either. They have justified their own self's by their works. God will not accept this by the way.

It is not by grace plus stop smoking or grace plus weekly church attendance or grace plus baptism or grace plus stop drinking (or just fill in the blank). It is simply grace, unmerited, undeserved, and completely free. If we judge other people's behavior, we condemn our own selves. I have heard preachers, priests, elders, deacons, lay-members, non-Christians, etc...do this very same thing. They might not even know they're deceived (II Cor. 4:3-4). There are consequences for our actions, yes, but our acts have absolutely no consequence on God's love. It changes not!

God's love is greater than that of any parents...it is absolutely unconditional. Not conditioned or dependent upon behavior or acts. Whatever you do does not diminish God's love for you one bit. I can remember a mother who loved her son until the very day he went to Death Row. There was never anything that her son did or would ever do that lessened her love for him. She may have been heartbroken or disappointed by his deeds, yes, but the love for her son was never conditional upon what he did.

Knowing that God's love is unconditional, may help us better understand that even one work added to a person's salvation requirements renders Christ's sacrifice of no effect on them (Gal. 5:4). Our "religious works" profit us absolutely nothing and can actually take away the sacrifices effect because His atonement is sufficient once and for all, and for all sins. If you keep trying to save yourself by your works, take a serious warning from Jesus Christ Himself in the scriptures. On that Judgment Day, some will remind Jesus about all the works they did, but does He tells them? "Depart from me, for I never knew you [since His sacrifice was rendered useless by trying to add works to it] (Math. 7:22-23)".

Once a person accepts Christ as Lord and Savior, there isn't anything else they can do to improve on it. How can you improve on Christ's perfection; in His perfecting gift of His own life? It is all sufficient in His propitiation. Certainly our works will naturally become better by the new nature in us, but we are not saved by those or any works. We are not saved by works but we are saved for works. I didn't do anything to save myself [short of accepting Jesus as Lord], therefore I certainly can not do anything that will cause me to lose my salvation (John 10:28-29). Even though we are not saved by works, you'll soon discover you want to do good works due to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

God gives a serious warning to not add anything to His Word or the Bible (Prov. 30:6) or to the plan of Salvation (Gal. 1:8, Rev. 22:17-19). And who want's to call God a liar (I John 5:10-11)? Man's righteousness never comes from man; it only comes as a free gift from God. It's important to remember that "religious people" have been the greatest stumbling blocks to Jesus free gift of eternal life. I (and all) have sinned, so how can I judge anybody else? When Paul was speaking of love, he said "love believes all things", meaning we need to give people the benefit of the doubt. What gives me the right to judge them based on their behavior or habits? God's love is not conditioned on my behavior, my church attendance, etc. He knows the heart; I do not.

If I fast twice a week, read the Bible daily for one hour, never miss church, God loves me exactly the same as if I did none of those things and in fact if I lost my temper, shouted at my kids, drank a whole six pack, etc. It has no affect whatsoever on His love. It changes not. Many churches and no few pastors are in the same danger of this as the Galatians were (2:4). This is what Paul calls the "false gospel" and it is from the Devil himself. Our children make some huge mistakes or openly sin, but we don't condition our love (should not at least) on those mistakes or blatant sins do we? If we do, then that can not truly be called love. Tangible actions of the ones you love can not affect what is intangible; that is love. The new churches Paul's planted had some serious problems, but none of their actions rendered Paul's love and prayers for them null or void.

You know you are preaching the works-plus-nothing-Gospel; salvation through grace alone, when you are persecuted for preaching it or writing about it. I have been but no more that Paul was (Gal. 5:11). Any other form of salvation than by grace alone is man's careful fabrication, for the Bible consistently declares that the believer's right standing with God is "without works" (Romans 4:6), "without the deeds of the Law" (Romans 3:28), and "not of works" (Ephesians 2:9), "It is [solely] the gift of God," (Ephesians 2:8).

To attempt to make the believer's response part of their own salvation and to look upon grace as "a help" is to flatly deny Biblical truth, for "...if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace..." (Romans 11:6). The simple Biblical message is that "the gift of righteousness" in Christ Jesus is a gift, resting on His all-sufficient sacrifice on the cross, "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).

So it is as Christ Jesus Himself said, He died in place of the believer, the One for many (Mark 10:45), His life a ransom for many. As He declared, this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28). This is also what Peter proclaimed, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God..." (I Peter 3:18). Paul's preaching is summarized at the end of II Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him..." (II Corinthians 5:21). It is in Him, not in us or by our own good works. God doesn't call the qualified...He qualifies the called.

This fact, dear reader, is presented clearly to you in the Bible. A hundred Hail Mary's nor a hundred good deeds can not help. They could be in serious trouble with God on the Day of Judgment. You see, this is why it's called the Good News. It should calm our fears about our salvation. We can relax in His sufficiency to save us. He will not lose any of us (John 10:28-29). What joy there should be in this knowledge. It ought to provide us with such peace, assurance and a calm demeanor. To refuse to accept what God commands is the same sin as that of the religious Jews of Paul's time, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:3).

I thank God that holiness is not the way to Jesus...Jesus is the way to holiness; otherwise I would be worried. It is not all your responsibility; it is your response to His ability. It is your response in accepting Him as Lord and Savior under The Adoption Process [see below]. Once you are saved, don't lose heart, for you will still sin...but God has already sealed you for the day of redemption and no one can take us out of the mighty hand of The Father and of Jesus Christ (John 10:28-29). Therefore, if anyone teaches a salvation of good works, good behavior or good habits, please realize that they are not part of the plan of Salvation. If you have any works to do, this is the only work you have to worry about and that which Jesus spoke about in John 6:29, "...This is the work of God, that you believe on Him who He has sent". So, if you have not been saved, this is all the work that is needed:

Admit - that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior (Rom 6:23)

Abandon - self-effort and realize that you can not be saved by works or efforts (Acts 16:30-31)

Accept freely Christ's payment for your sins, required of the Father. (John 3:16)

Acknowledge Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior (Acts 4:12)

If you have just received Jesus, you have now received God's inheritance rights since youare now a son or daughter of His and can never be lost again & live forever (John 10:28-29). And you have made the angels rejoice, as they do over one sinner that is saved. Now, join a Bible-believing church, or call 1-888-NeedHim (633-3446) for follow up questions about salvation that is only available through Jesus Christ or contact me if you have further doubts or questions. And welcome to the permanent family. It is a citizenship without end. I can not wait to meet you someday and rejoice with you!