Faith and works are a perennial issue in explaining the gospel. The cults insist we are saved by a combination of faith and works. The world likewise imagines a great set of weighing scale, our sins on one side, our good works on the other.
The world follows the thinking of Aristotle, who argued a man must love his neighbour and then love God; out of that love for my neighbour will spring my love for God. He would argue that if we are to gain eternal life we are to first obey.
Any number of Scripture verses lend themselves to this view:; Mt.7:21; Ro.2:6; 1 Cor.3:14; 2 Cor.5:10; Js.1:22; Js.2:18-20. The Bible is replete with injunctions to ‘work out your salvation,’ (Philip.2:12-13). It may come as a surprise to Jehovah’s Witnesses then, who think Christians don’t witness, to Mormons too, who believe we have an easy-believism, that Christians are ever aware of these verses, striving to obey them.
I have been reading Tyndale in recent months. He is incredibly helpful with this subject and following his thinking I will develop my theme in coming weeks. Now I want to use a familiar gospel story to help us think through the place of works in the life of the believer. Luke’s gospel tells of a Pharisee who asked Jesus around for a meal.
You Faith Has Saved You
‘And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself,’ If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ And he answered, Say it, Teacher.’
‘A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.’ And he said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’
Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven - for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little.’
And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven.’ Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this, who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you, go in peace.’ (Luke 7:36-50, ESV)
The parable mirrors the situation at Simon’s house. The woman is the debtor who was forgiven much, the Pharisee the one forgiven little. Is the woman forgiven because of her sacrificial service to Jesus? He says not, ‘Your faith has saved you, go in peace.’ The love of the greater debtor is evoked by the generosity of his creditor. The love of the woman is evoked by her forgiven state.
The Outward Deed Testifies to the Inward Man
Tyndale points out we cannot love God as long as we look at the Law only, standing over us, condemning us at every turn, ‘But when the gospel, that glad tidings, and joyful promises are preached, how that in Christ God loves us first, forgives us, and has mercy on us; then love we again, and the deeds of our love declare our faith...So Christ teaches Simon by the ferventness of the love in the outward deeds to see a strong faith within, whence so great love springs.’
The woman had a saving faith that issued in works. We see by the outward appearance the inward love. As Tyndale observed, ‘The outward deed testifies of what is within us…’ He uses Jesus’ own example to illustrate this great Bible truth. In John 5:36 Jesus declared the works he does testify of who he is. So, the works of a Christian testify of who they are.
When Christians eschew works as a means of salvation it is because, like the great debtor, like the woman at Simon’s house, they know they haven’t the wherewithal to pay so great a debt. However, in light of God’s love shown us in Christ, the work Christians do, cheerfully, gladly, is an outworking of the assurance they have of that glad state of forgiveness.
When Christ hung on the cross, ‘he said, ‘It is finished,’ and bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’ (John 19:30) The word translated ‘finished’ is teleō, a word used in Matthew’s gospel in a discussion about the temple tax, ‘When they came to Capernaeum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, ‘Does your teacher not pay (teleō) the tax?’ (Mt.17:24) It carries the idea of to finish, complete, to be finished, be completed, fulfilled, perfected, paid in full.
A Christian is a debtor whose debt has been paid in full by the sacrifice of the cross. Tyndale writes:
‘A Christian man’s heart is with the will of God, with the law and commandments of God; and hungers and thirsts after strength to fulfil them; and mourns day and night, desiring God, according to his promises, to give him power to fulfil the will of God with love and lust; then his deed testifies that he is blessed, and the Spirit, which blesses us in Christ, is in him and ministers such strength. The outward deed testifies what is within us…’
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