First Let Us Read Scripture. My Opinion Means Nothing.
“For by GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And BY HIM ALL THAT BELIEVE ARE JUSTIFIED FROM ALL THINGS, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts13:38-39 KJV)
“For the law of THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS hath MADE ME FREE from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2 KJV)
“For there is ONE God,and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself A RANSOM for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2: 5-6 KJV)
“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (Philippians 3:9 KJV)
“Now to the one who WORKS, his wage is NOT RECKONED on the basis of GRACE, but as what is DUE. But to the one who DOES NOT WORK, but BELIEVES in Him (Jesus) WHO JUSTIFIES the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Romans 4:4-5 KJV)
THE GALATIANS
Apostle Paul Taught Against ‘Good works For Righteousness’
Apostle Paul Taught Against the false ‘Works for Salvation’ gospel and gives stern warning to the Galatians, where false Judiazer teachers were telling them that following good works of Law were also requirements of their salvation and not faith in Christ ALONE. This is what Paul had to say about it:
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, LET HIM BE ACCURSED.” (Galatians 1:6-8 KJV)
“Knowing that a man is NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, but BY THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST, even we have BELIEVED in Jesus Christ, that we might BE JUSTIFIED by the FAITH OF CHRIST, and NOT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW: FOR BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED.. But if, while we seek to be justified BY CHRIST, we ourselves also are FOUND SINNERS, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make MYSELF a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but CHRIST LIVETH IN ME: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for IF RIGHTEOUSNESS COME BY THE LAW, THEN CHRIST DIED IN VAIN.” (Galatians 2:16-21 KJV)
“O FOOLISH GALATIANS, WHO HATH BEWITCHED YOU, that ye should not obey THE TRUTH, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, CRUCIFIED AMONG YOU? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or BY THE HEARING OF FAITH? ARE YE SO FOOLISH? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things IN VAIN? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by THE HEARING OF FAITH? Even AS ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, and it was ACCOUNTED TO HIM for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are OF FAITH, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would JUSTIFY THE HEATHEN THROUGH FAITH, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be OF FAITH are blessed with FAITHFUL Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are UNDER THE CURSE: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that NO MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW in the sight of God, it is evident: for, THE JUST SHALL LIVE -BY FAITH-. And the law is NOT OF FAITH: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.” (Galatians 3 KJV)
STERN WARNING…
“Christ is become of NO EFFECT UNTO YOU, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are FALLEN FROM GRACE. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness BY FAITH.” (Galatians 5:4-5 KJV)
Jesus warned the same in Matthew 7:22-23:
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done MANY WONDERFUL WORKS? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22-23 KJV)
What is the iniquity Jesus is telling the Jewish people in His Earthly ministry? The INIQUITY is the FALSE TEACHING of works for salvation; following the Law of Moses for Salvation. Salvation is not BY good works, nor Law following for righteousness, nor is salvation kept BY good works.
These are not my words. It is the Gospel truth from Scripture, read in proper context.
ARE YOU SAVED BY DOING GOOD WORKS?
The Answer is a resounding NO! This is such an important issue because if a person believes that works are a requirement for salvation, such teachers are giving them a false Gospel. Apostle Paul is clear, the wages of sin is NOT good works, nor being a good person.
“…the wages of sin IS DEATH; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJV).
This death Paul spoke of, if you look in the Greek, is ‘Eternal Death in condemnation’ . It is Spiritual death. Believing our good deeds will save us is no different than trying to save our self through our OWN EFFORTS – which is basically following the Law which the Bible calls “the ministry of death” and the “ministry of condemnation”.
“But if the MINISTRATION OF DEATH, written and engraven in stones (Don: Ten Commandments), was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the MINISTRATION OF THE SPIRIT be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:7-9 KJV)
Do NOT continue in the Ministry of death, trying to keep the Ten Commandments for our salvation as if we could actually do so with our sin nature. Impossible!
We should not think that we are a “good person” or that we are better than anyone else regarding our sin. We should not be using a human standard to compare ourselves with “other evil sinners” while we think we are good using human standards. Human standards regarding our sin are MEANINGLESS. God is perfectly HOLY and JUST.
It is against God’s own character of perfect Holiness that we should be comparing our self with – and believe me WE ALL FAIL MISERABLY! We are all SINNERS. Before accepting Salvation through Christ crucified, we have a sin nature at our core (The Spirit of Adam) within us and it is impossible to never sin – even after becoming a Christian! And of course to make things worse there are those who believe in a works based salvation and believe they are better than others when the fact is they are completely wretched within.
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16 KJV)
Paul makes this clear. The LAW (Ten Commandments) SAVES NO ONE! The Ten Commandments are like a mirror so we can see how terribly sinful we actually are.
“For no one is put right in God’s sight by DOING what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make man KNOW that he has sinned.” (Romans 3:20 KJV)
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might ABOUND. But where sin abounded, GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND:” (Romans 5:20 KJV)
“”The sting of death is sin; and the STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW.” (1 Corinthians 15:56)
“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the DEEDS OF THE LAW there shall NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED in his sight: for by the law is the KNOWLEDGE of sin. But now the righteousness of God WITHOUT THE LAW is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God WHICH IS BY FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST unto all and upon all them THAT BELIEVE: for there is no difference: For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being JUSTIFIED FREELY by HIS GRACE through the redemption THAT IS IN Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be A PROPITIATION THROUGH FAITH in HIS blood, to declare HIS righteousness for the REMISSION of sins that are past, through the FORBEARANCE of God; To declare, I say, at this time HIS righteousness: that HE might be just, and THE JUSTIFIER OF HIM which BELIEVETH IN JESUS. Where is boasting then? It is EXCLUDED. By what law? of works? NAY:but by the LAW OF FAITH. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified BY FAITH WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW. (Romans 3:19-28 KJV)
BEWARE THE FALSE GOSPEL THAT IS RUNNING RAMPANT IN MANY PULPITS… YOUR SALVATION IS AT RISK!
Do not take as truth, everything a pulpit is teaching! It is our individual responsibility to read the Bible and see if what is being taught is correct in Scripture, read in proper context. Do not even take my word for it! Let the Scripture read in proper context be truth.