Over the past month we have looked, in Faith, Works and Foot Washing, at what the Bible actually means when it says faith saves. In Faith, Works and Philosophers, we have looked at the folly of the world’s wisdom as we see it exemplified in Mormonism, comparing it with ‘the foolishness of the cross.’
In Faith, Works and Followers, we considered the essential part works do have to play in the life of every true follower of Christ, confounding Jehovah’s Witnesses, who think we don’t care for witnessing. We went on, in Faith, Works and Fallacy, to deal with the role of the law in bringing us to an understanding of sin and our need of a Saviour. Now we come to see how, for some, faith doesn’t seem to work, while for others it changes everything.
Among the cults it is believed that Christians make too much of faith and not enough of works. They seem to think we are selective Bible readers (oh, the irony) wilfully blind to the countless texts that call us to lives of sacrifice and service:
‘I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…’ Mt.25:35
‘He will render to each one according to his works.’ Ro.2:6
‘For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.’ 2 Cor.5:10
‘Faith apart from works is useless.’ Js.2:20
It all sounds as if works justify us, make us acceptable before God, and faith alone Christians have a misguided easy-believism that must be abandoned.
Two ‘Faiths’
Tyndale describes two kinds of faith. One kind is something people hear about, like a story from a far country. It isn’t something of their own, it’s something foreign to them. They like the idea, however, and elect to believe it, like adopting a foreign culture, becoming Anglophile, or Francophile. They think this faith is something it is in their own power to have, like any other natural decision a person might make; to rise early, to work long, to earn the respect of neighbours.
They don’t, however, know the working of the Spirit, they have not faced the terrible sentence of the law, nor the fearful judgement of God. This being so, they have not been brought by these things to the cross of Christ. They have simply decided to go to church.
In time, they realise this faith makes no difference in their lives, they are the same as they were before, apart from some change in routine. Others they see, that believe in this same way, seem no more changed than they. While some Christians demonstrate an apparent zeal for God, they find themselves lukewarm, as the people in Laodicea (Rev.3:15-17)
The conclusion is quickly drawn that something greater than faith is needed if they are to be acceptable before God. Jude calls such people dreamers (Jude 8) deceiving themselves with their own fantasies, dreaming of faith, not having faith.
Saving Faith
The second kind, the faith that saves, the right faith doesn’t come of man’s volition. IIt isn’t a good and appealing idea we may adopt, like a culture, or a hobby, it is the gift of God:
‘By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.’ (Eph.2:8-9)
It is important to understand ‘this is not your own doing,’ refers to the whole process of salvation, both the faith to believe, and the work of God in which we believe. Salvation, in every respect, is not your own doing. You didn’t simply choose faith, God gifted it to you, or you don’t have it. Tyndale writes:
‘The right faith springs not from man’s fantasy, neither is it in any man’s power to obtain it; but it is altogether the pure gift of God poured into us freely, without any manner of work on our part, without deserving and merits, and without our seeking it. It is God’s gift and grace, purchased through Christ.’
This grace gift renews us, gives us new birth, changes us, giving us a new nature, a new will and way of living. Someone in receipt of this gift finds their heart is altogether changed, their mind renewed and empowered to hate the sin they once loved, and to love the law that once condemned them. The soul, says Tyndale, is truly set at liberty, free to follow the will of God.
Just as a tree brings forth fruit without bidding, so the truly saved person bears the fruit of salvation. As we stop to feed our bodies with good food and drink, so the saved soul hungers after the will of God.
In contrast, the unsaved churchgoer feels no power equipping him, no faith motivating him, no Spirit leading him. He strives to walk in his own feeble strength, interprets Scripture by his own blind reason. He explains his faith as a tale he has heard of another man but not something he himself has truly experienced.
James writes of these two faiths. It is faith that saves, as we have seen from Paul in Ephesians, but saving faith issues in the works of God. Tyndale writes:
‘Mark diligently, therefore, seeing we are come to an answer. The scripture uses such manner of speakings of works, not that a man should thereby be made good toward God, or justified; but to declare to others, and to see in others, the difference between feigned faith and right faith. For where right faith is, there she brings forth good works; if good works do not follow, it is (no doubt) but a dream and an opinion, or feigned faith. As the fruit doesn’t make the tree good but declares and testifies outwardly that it is a good tree, even so shall you know the right faith by her fruit.’
To see a practical outworking of this teaching from Jesus himself, consider the story of Mary, who anointed Jesus’ feet. It is taught in my first post, Faith, Works, and Foot Washing.
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