You are welcome back to our concise studies on the New Life. Last time we saw the beauty of God\’s work in our salvation experience. First, we are brought into newness of life by the sovereign work of God. Our access to salvation (that is, to be saved from sin) is simply believing.
\”That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.\”
Romans 10:9
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Yet, access to salvation is the starting point of a process in your life. If you ignore the process, you will likely make a shipwreck of your faith. You have access to Jesus so that you can kickstart the process of becoming like Jesus (which is sanctification). This is what guarantees the success of your pilgrimage on this side of eternity.
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Salvation = deliverance from sin + training in righteousness
Now, salvation means deliverance. It is the termination of sin\’s reign over your life that must be translated into dominion over self, satan and the world system. Romans 6:6 says \”For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.\” Being under grace means that you have entered into a new reality and position. Now, having entered into this position, you need to do the works of righteousness in that position. Just like you need to do Grade 5 work in Grade 5. And to do these works of righteousness, you have to be trained in righteousness. This is the education that begins from the day you were saved.
\”…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling….\”
Philippians 2:12
To work out your own salvation, you must be schooled in righteousness. It takes training to handle the tools of carpentry and to make usable or user-friendly furniture. In the same way, from the day of salvation, you must begin to learn the new life by the influence of the Holy Spirit in your heart, the reading and studying of the Scriptures, devotional praying as well as the regular inputs of a mature disciple. All these and more are the things that work out your salvation. That instruction is direct because it is up to you to make yourself available for all of them.
Also, note that working out salvation requires a particular attitude: with fear and trembling. \” Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.\” Hebrews 4:1. There is a need for you to be alarmed at the possibility of missing out on this great salvation. If the LORD is saying this to us, it means that is the attitude to forestall that possibility. This fear or alarm is to keep you from taking God\’s work for granted and to have a deep reference for Him, as you process your salvation faithfully.
We thank God for the access to salvation you have received (if you have), but it is only the beginning of the process of inside-out transformation that will make a success of your salvation. Will you commit to this process?
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Faith and works are two sides of the same coin
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James 2:14, 17-18, 20, 22, 24, 26 KJV
Now, by the grace of God, we will touch on the duality of faith and works… how they go together. They are two sides of the same coin. When God saves a person, he comes into a position and in that position (which is inside Christ or for short in Christ), he has an inheritance. There are several aspects to this inheritance. This inheritance includes the abundance of grace, the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17), faith (2 Peter 1:1-2), the image and likeness of God, fellowship/communion with God etc. Everything in your inheritance in Christ can be summarized into faith because they are spiritual realities deposited into your spirit waiting to be actualized in your soul.
What brings them into the theatre of your soul is your decision to act, to respond, to do the work that is commensurate with your faith. This is working out your salvation with fear and trembling. Again, the fear there in Philippians 2:12 is not a state of paralysis or weakness but consciousness and realization that it is possible to drop out of faith or reject so great a salvation. It is with that sense of awe that impresses on you the need to seek God in prayer that you work out all that God has worked into you as positional realities.
James, an apostle of Jesus Christ was used by the Holy Spirit to bring balance to the matter of faith and works. Now, let\’s read those verses again. \”What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?\” James 2:14. So, it\’s okay for you to know your new position in Christ. It is wonderful to know what you have as a child of God. But if the works that prove your faith are not in you, the question for you is: Can faith save you? Just getting saved is wonderful but that salvation needs to be worked out. The works of salvation are thoughts, deeds and activities that manifest your salvation. Just like there is so much going on in a car engine to make it functional, the works of salvation in your life are what determine your growth (or forward movement) in the Kingdom of God.
Let us pray: Father, I thank You for so great a salvation You have offered me. Please give me a revelation of this salvation that will establish a proper valuation in my heart. Help me not to be an offence to You and the faith. Help me, rather, to be a delight to You and an inspiration for others to pursue righteous living. Thank You, LORD. In Jesus\’ name.
AMEN.
Featured image: Cornerstone Pendleton
