Now, there is nothing wrong with good works, but good works must accompany faith. Good works are the result of faith. Good works must be motivated in the right spirit, not by our own selfish desire to be good or to do good things, or because we think it will impress everyone—including YHWH, Himself. Well, you can do a lot of good things out of a selfish desire, can’t you? A desire to be known as a good person, a desire to be seen as a humanitarian and as a benevolent person in the community motivates many. Many people do good works from wrong motives. All of the good works in the world will fail to get you into heaven. You may have a great reputation in the world—but you will lose your soul in the process.
The only means of salvation that the Father offers is by faith in Jesus. Jesus plus nothing equals eternal life. There is no other way. That is the stumbling stone for Israel, and it is the stumbling stone for others as well. People will join churches, people will do religious works, people will join fraternal organization that assure you that your work will get in with the “Big Guy.” But that is not what makes you a Christian. It is faith in Jesus Christ, alone. It is so simple. Yet so many people reject it outright. Why? Because I can do works on my own terms. I can decide I will do this and I will not do that.
However, when you commit your life to a living and sovereign Lord, it is no longer salvation on your terms. The question then becomes, “Will I surrender my life totally without reservation, to a Person who is alive to control my life today, the person of Jesus Christ?” It then becomes a demand that I lay my life into his hands and say, “Lord, you lead me now. Whatever you say, that is what I will do. Not on my terms. Not my will, but Thine be done.” It is a far greater thing to surrender your life to a Living Lord than merely abide by set of principles. That is precisely what we are called to do.
The bottom line for everyone is that our only hope is to trust in the mercy of our sovereign Lord. Salvation is of the Lord, based on His gracious choice. The good news is that he has given us the greatest sign of his desire to show mercy in the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. We can trust a God like that.
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Letter to Christians in Rome: Chapter 9 (pt 13 of 13)
Now, there is nothing wrong with good works, but good works must accompany faith. Good works are the result of faith. Good works must be motivated in the right spirit, not by our own selfish desire to be good or to do good things, or because we think it will impress everyone—including YHWH, Himself. Well, you can do a lot of good things out of a selfish desire, can’t you? A desire to be known as a good person, a desire to be seen as a humanitarian and as a benevolent person in the community motivates many. Many people do good works from wrong motives. All of the good works in the world will fail to get you into heaven. You may have a great reputation in the world—but you will lose your soul in the process.
The only means of salvation that the Father offers is by faith in Jesus. Jesus plus nothing equals eternal life. There is no other way. That is the stumbling stone for Israel, and it is the stumbling stone for others as well. People will join churches, people will do religious works, people will join fraternal organization that assure you that your work will get in with the “Big Guy.” But that is not what makes you a Christian. It is faith in Jesus Christ, alone. It is so simple. Yet so many people reject it outright. Why? Because I can do works on my own terms. I can decide I will do this and I will not do that.
However, when you commit your life to a living and sovereign Lord, it is no longer salvation on your terms. The question then becomes, “Will I surrender my life totally without reservation, to a Person who is alive to control my life today, the person of Jesus Christ?” It then becomes a demand that I lay my life into his hands and say, “Lord, you lead me now. Whatever you say, that is what I will do. Not on my terms. Not my will, but Thine be done.” It is a far greater thing to surrender your life to a Living Lord than merely abide by set of principles. That is precisely what we are called to do.
The bottom line for everyone is that our only hope is to trust in the mercy of our sovereign Lord. Salvation is of the Lord, based on His gracious choice. The good news is that he has given us the greatest sign of his desire to show mercy in the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. We can trust a God like that.
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Bible Commentaries, Bible Study, Romans
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Letter to Christians in Rome: Chapter 9 (pt 12 of 13)
Letter to Christians in Rome: Chapter 10 (pt 1 of 9)