There has always been a controversy between the terms the Bible calls “Grace and Works.” Some have misused the terms to excuse sin; others have misused the terms to try and earn or deserve God’s blessing and favor. Both these terms, Grace and works, are important aspects of the life of a New Testament Believer of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is important to know how they operate so that we can experience the fullness of the Lord in our lives. Show More
Grace
The biblical definition of Grace is something that is given freely as a gift, and it is not based upon the value or the efforts of the person receiving the gift. Grace, in this case, is an unconditional gift motivated by the gift giver’s decision to love. God has decided to provide blessings to those who know Him. Notice the word “decision,” this is what is called agape love. Agape love is not based upon emotions or feelings but a decision, and when God makes a decision, He does not change or go back on that decision. Look at the following verses.
- Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
- The Apostle Paul assures Titus, a young pastor, in the following, Titus 1:2, “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,”
- Hebrews 6:18 “that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
If God has said it in His Word, then you can count on it to come to pass.
Love, Forgiveness, and Acceptance
When we fully understand God’s gift of Grace, we can walk by faith in the love, forgiveness, and acceptance of God. Ephesians is simply one place where we are told we are loved, forgiven, and accepted.
- The Love of God- Ephesians 2:4, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”
- The forgiveness of God- Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
- The acceptance of God- Ephesians 1:6, “the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
It is by these three things, love, forgiveness, and acceptance, that gives us the assurance that God is for us and not against us (Romans 8:31) and that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
So many Christians struggle with the love, forgiveness, and acceptance of the Lord for two reasons.
- The first reason that Believers sometimes struggle with the love, forgiveness, and acceptance of God is that they allow the devil to heap condemnation, guilt, and shame because of past events. We must remind ourselves of what the scriptures say about the devil; the devil is a liar and the father of all lies. From the very beginning, he deceived Adam and Eve and continues to slander Christians to this day. Every time you believe what the devil says about you, you are denying what God says, and He says you are loved, forgiven, and accepted. Be careful who you associate with because the devil can use the people around you to speak negativity into your life.
- The second reason Believers sometimes struggle with the love, forgiveness, and acceptance of the Lord is that they feel unworthy of God’s love, forgiveness, and acceptance. The truth is that we are all unworthy; that is why we need God’s Grace! The Bible is clear, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God! (Romans 3:23).” No one deserves or can earn God’s love, forgiveness, and acceptance, however through Jesus Christ we have been given Grace.
John 3:16-18, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
The Grace of God is available through Jesus!
Our Father in heaven decided to give salvation to anyone who would accept His only begotten Son, Jesus, by faith. This gift of the Father is the greatest gift anyone could receive because it determines our eternal peace and reward. Anyone who has salvation or is saved is assured of the Love, Forgiveness, and Acceptance of God.
Works
In the Bible, the term works often means those things that are done to find favor with God, and they often stem from the idea that they appease or placate God.
Works of the Law
The works of the Law also called the Law of Moses, refer to the many rules and regulations found in the Old Testament that were handed down to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. Some count 613 commands, which included the Ten Commandments. These laws were what the Jews agreed to follow in exchange for blessings and protection in the Old Covenant or the Covenant of the Law.
When a Jew was circumcised, it was a sign that they were under the Covenant of God and, therefore, had to obey these laws. If they broke a law, they would have to repent and make a sacrifice, as defined by the Law.
The purpose of the Law was to show the Jewish people how they should live in their relationship with God, fellow Jews, and non-Jews. The Old Testament portion of the Bible, from Genesis to Malachi, is all about this covenant relationship between God and the Jewish people.
A final point about the Law of Moses: As born-again Believers in Jesus Christ, we are not under the Law of Moses. Our covenant is the New Covenant, which is a covenant of Grace purchased by Jesus Christ! Our salvation and security come from following Jesus, not the Law of Moses. Jesus fulfilled the Law, and when Jesus said, “It is finished!” upon the cross of Calvary, He closed out the Old Testament Law and introduced the New Covenant under which we live today.
Much of the Apostle Paul’s epistles address this conflict between the Law of Moses and the New Covenant of Jesus. The writer of the book of Hebrews makes it very clear that the Old Covenant has been replaced by the superior New Covenant of Jesus Christ. I would encourage you to read Galatians 3:19-25; here is an excerpt from Galatians 3:24-25, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
Works of Religion
Even though we are not under the Old Covenant of Law, most Christian denominations have developed practices intended to help Believers draw closer to God. However, when ritual replaces relationship, then it becomes a dead work. Throughout the Bible, Old and New Testaments, God has desired a heart turned to Him. A heart of gratitude for what He has done, sending Jesus to die for our sins, restoring our relationship with Him, and accepting us into the family of God. Our obedience is the evidence that we are submitted to our Lord.
In the Old Testament, 1 Samuel 15:22, “So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”
In the New Testament, John 8:42, “Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.” John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
Works of Faith
The Lord delights in works of faith. The word faith is used over 260 times in the New Testament. Here are a few verses to consider:
- Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
- Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
Throughout Bible history, God’s question to us has always been the same, “will you trust me?” Faith is believing what the Lord says and doing it. The doing part is the evidence that you have faith. Faith is not just the words you speak or the thoughts you have about the Lord, but faith must be coupled with doing or work. Will you follow Him by trusting and obeying? One of the key messages in the book of James is this relationship between faith and works; in particular, read James 2:14-26. Here are a couple of excerpts:
James 2:14-17, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
In this example, James points out that saying you have faith alone is simply mental assent; that is, you agree that something is true, but you don’t act on it. The evidence of faith is the action you take. This is the point in James 2:18, “But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” Our faith in Jesus and what He has called us to do is our testimony that Jesus is alive and available to others, which is our mission or assignment.
The Apostle James’ conclusion is James 2:26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
Salvation.
All this discussion brings us to the critical question of, “how does one become saved?”. Is salvation by Grace, faith, or works? The answer can be found in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by Grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Verses 8 and 9 make it clear that salvation is a gift of Grace. It is not earned nor deserved. However, it is by faith that we receive this precious gift. Jesus has done all the work to secure your salvation; that is Grace. You must believe that Jesus died for you so that you would be forgiven, accepted, and loved by God; that is faith.
Verse 10 shows us the place of works; we were created in Jesus for “good works,” which means that when we are born-again, we are to be led by the Word of God and the Spirit of God to demonstrate the goodness of God to a lost and dying world.
Conclusion
Hopefully we have a better understanding of the terms grace and works in the life of a Christian. Grace is not a license to sin, and the dead works of the Mosaic Law or ritualistic activities is not what the Lord is looking for in His followers. What the Lord is looking for is a relationship.
Grace is the Lord’s gift; good works are our efforts to follow, by faith, the instructions of the Bible and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Our faith in Jesus should inspire us to good works in gratitude and honor for all that He has done for us.
Let me challenge you with the words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”