Grace or Works

 

But if it is by grace [charis - a favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the lovingkindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor], it is no longer on the basis of works [ergon - work, performance, the result or object of employment]; otherwise, grace is no longer grace.                      Romans 11:6

Grace stands in direct antithesis to works; the two are mutually exclusive. God's grace affects man's sinfulness, forgiving the repentant sinner and bringing joy and thankfulness to Him. It changes the individual into a new creature without destroying his individuality. Grace, God’s free gift, is the environment where man can experience eternal life simply based on faith in who Jesus is and what He did. Works are not part of the equation, as Ephesians 2:8-9 reports: For by grace, you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Faith and Works 

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.                   James 2:14-17

The Apostle James, the half-brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem in the early first century, identifies the importance of practical attention to the duties of religion and the assurance that men cannot be saved by a mere speculative opinion or merely by following a prescribed program or set of rules. … in humility, receive the word implanted, which is able to save [sozo – rescue from death] your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves (James 1:21-22). Salvation from physical death or human calamity versus salvation from hell and unto eternal life are two aspects of salvation and the Christian experience. They represent the distinction between faithfulness as a lifestyle and faith as a state of mind. In the above passage, James refers to the faithful one as the one who acts out his faith on the stage of life and is saved from many of life’s consequences.

A Law of Righteousness 

What shall we say then? Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith, but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." Romans 9:30-33 

By the time of Paul's third missionary journey, the church included Jewish as well as Gentile believers, and the increasing rejection of the gospel by the Jews and the predominance of Gentiles in the church led the apostle to speak of Gentiles as antithetical to Israel. The Jews continued to pursue a Law of righteousness but had not yet attained it. A Law of righteousness refers to the Mosaic Law (see Romans 7:7,12 & 14). To seek to attain righteousness by observing the Law requires that it be kept perfectly, or as James says, he will become guilty of all (James 2:10). Why did Israel not attain it? Because they pursued it not by (ek – out of) faith but as if it were by (ek – out of) works. The Israelites did not admit their inability to keep the Law perfectly and willingly turned their faith to God for forgiveness. Instead, a few kept trying to keep the Law through their own efforts. Consequently, they stumbled over a STONE OF STUMBLING. Paul quoted from Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16, which referenced the coming Messiah. They were unwilling to acknowledge that Jesus was the Messiah and put their trust in Him. 

Pursuing Righteousness 

Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge [epignosis – knowledge which enables one to avoid error]. For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes that the man who practices [obeys] the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU [easily obtained], IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him, for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."       Romans 10:1-13

The Apostle Paul never disavowed his Jewish heritage, always recognizing himself as a redeemed Jew, one who had found Jesus as the Messiah, and his priority was to see his fellow countrymen do the same. In the above passage, he identifies the spiritual problem that holds them back from accepting Jesus: they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. That knowledge is defined by the Law of Moses versus God’s righteousness as a means of knowing God. They knew about God, but they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. All of their efforts to uphold the law of righteousness would only produce self-righteousness since it was man's work.

By quoting from Deuteronomy 30:11-14, Paul was explaining that the people had their answer right from Moses himself: 

“For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. “It is not in heaven that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ “Nor is it beyond the sea that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.

In preparing the people for their entry into the promised land, Moses instructed them that the word of faith was all they would need to succeed in the promised land without Moses. Paul defines this as confessing with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and trusting from the heart, as Abraham had demonstrated, which results in righteousness—a right standing before God. One’s Jewish heritage was not a requirement for salvation but rather a calling on the name (His character and nature) of the Lord (Joel 2:32). Access to Yahweh is no longer through the Torah but through Jesus Christ, the Messiah (John 14:6).

Hunger and Thirst

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus, I have seen You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You. So, I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.                        Psalm 63:1-5 

When speaking the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructed believers that the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness will be blessed by being satisfied (Matthew 5:6). He was telling them that success in the kingdom of heaven was a continuous, daily pursuit of the right standing of God (present active participle). The emphasis is on the relationship with Jesus rather than religious activity. Proverbs 15:9, The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves one who pursues righteousness. Proverbs 21:21, He who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life, righteousness, and honor.   

Instructed by Grace

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.                        Titus 2:11-14 

The first coming of Christ can be characterized by grace, a free gift of God to humanity that does not deserve it. This grace is also their instructor, not the Law of Moses, to lead each one into a sensible, righteous, and godly life. This instruction produces an expectation of His Second Coming, looking for the blessed hope, who will purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. Good deeds will result from a consistent walk in His righteousness. Paul saw this in the church at Thessaloniki: constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

The Horn and the Ear

We find the following statement in the Talmud: “The camel went in search of horns and got its ears nipped off instead.” In the Bible, horns usually symbolize spiritual achievement or material success. Overall, they are symbolic of all the good things that people desire. The camel represents a person who desires what someone else has and attempts to acquire it for himself.

However, it doesn’t end well for the camel. Not only is the camel unable to attain horns, but it also injures its ears. Ears, in this case, represent our ability to hear God’s Word. The lesson is that when we occupy ourselves with chasing after what someone else has, we lose our ability to hear God’s plan for our lives. Chasing after life’s advantages apart from God will distort our perception of the real blessings God intends for each one. In Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus tells the story of a man who is forgiven much, but is not willing to forgive others; he has not found God’s righteousness:

"For this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So, the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.' And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii, and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' So, his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay you.' But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So, when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then, summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave in the same way that I had mercy on you?' And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."                                         

Trials 

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith [faithfulness], being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,   1 Peter 1:6-8 

Faithfulness is demonstrated and proven through trials and produces praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Faithful perseverance in suffering will be fulfilled in honor of Christ, and joy will be inexpressible and full of glory. The believer obtains true deliverance of the soul as he is tested by fire. By his own free will, the believer determines the level of intimacy in his relationship with the Lord, and although you have not seen Him, you love Him.