Part
Four: Does your good works earn your
salvation?
|

|
Our
discussion will take the form of a simulated conversation
between a Jehovah's Witness named Joe and a Christian named
Chris.
Chris:
Joe, are you working hard for your salvation? Is that why
you spend so much of your time going door to door preaching
to people?
Joe:
Yes, I am working hard for the reward of eternal life. If I
prove faithful I will gain the reward of eternal life in an
earth-wide paradise.
Chris:
But Joe, doesn't the Bible say that salvation is a free
gift?
Joe:
Jehovah promised the free gift of life by giving his
only-begotten Son Jesus Christ as a ransom. God having
provided such a precious gift, rewards those who with all
diligence work to qualify themselves to receive
it.
Chris:
What would you say if your employer gave you your pay cheque
and said to you "I have a free gift for you. Here is your
paycheque." Wouldn't you say to him "What do you mean free
gift? My pay is not a free gift. I earned it by working very
hard!" You see Joe, if you work for something then it is no
longer a free gift.
Joe:
But the Watchtower says that vigorous exertion is required
to be saved. Doesn't the Bible say in James 2:20 that faith
without works is dead?
Chris:
What does your Bible say in the next verse?
Joe:
Let's see...it says "Was not Abraham our father declared
righteous by works after he had offered up Isaac his son
upon the altar?"
Chris:
That says that Abraham was declared righteous by works. Who
was he declared righteous by works to? Let's find out more
about Abraham's righteousness. Please read Romans
4:2-5.
Joe:
"If, for instance, Abraham were declared righteous as a
result of works, he would have ground for boasting; but not
with God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham
exercised faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as
righteousness." Now to the man that works the pay is
counted, not as an undeserved kindness, but as a debt. On
the other hand, to the man that does not work
but puts faith in him who declares the ungodly one
righteous, his faith is counted as
righteousness."
Chris:
This is an important verse because here it says that to the
one that does not work but has faith in God,
his faith is counted as righteousness. Did you notice that
Abraham is used as an example in both these
scriptures?
Joe:
Yes, so?
Chris:
Well, in Romans 4 it says that Abraham did not have any
grounds for boasting with God. It was Abraham's
faith that caused him to be counted righteous before
God not his works. If it was his works that
caused Abraham to be righteous before God, then Abraham
would have cause to boast. So, Joe, if Jehovah reads the
hearts of all men and he sees the faith in one's heart and
counts one righteous because of this faith,
who would be the ones that would need to see the works in
order to see our faith?
Joe:
Well, men would have to see our works because they cannot
read the heart.
Chris:
That's right Joe! Our works prove our faith to other
people. Could men have seen and understood Abraham's
faith without seeing his works?
Joe:
No. No human can read another's heart.
Chris:
Did Jehovah see Abraham's faith without having to see his
works?
Joe:
We know that Jehovah reads men's hearts.
Chris:
Because God sees our hearts he doesn't need works to prove
to him that we have faith. You see James chapter 2 is all
about showing our faith to others by our
works. It has nothing at all to do with earning our
salvation before God. If it meant that we must earn our
salvation by works then the Bible would contradict
itself.
Joe:
What do you mean?
Chris:
Read Ephesians 2:8 & 9.
Joe:
"By this undeserved kindness, indeed, YOU have been saved
through faith; and this not owing to YOU, it is God's gift.
No, it is not owing to works, in order that no man should
have ground for boasting."
Chris:
Joe, why does the Bible say that people are not saved by
works?
Joe:
It says "in order that no man should have
ground for boasting".
Chris:
What does this verse say about how are we to be saved
then?
Joe:
It says by undeserved kindness, we have been
saved through faith. But if we are saved by faith then where
do good works come in? Aren't we supposed to do good works
for Jehovah?
Chris:
Ephesians 2:10 says that "we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good
works". It is his work that saved us,
but he also prepared good works for us to do. Good works are
something that we will automatically do
because we are saved. Good works are important
but they are not something that we do to get
saved. Joe can we discuss next week if the
Watchtower is necessary for salvation?
Joe:
Sure.
|