Faith Looks to Christ and Then Works
Discussion over at Extra Nos resulted in a long comment from me. I would like to enhance that comment and post it here. The topic is very relevant to my denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention (See here and here.).
I have often struggled with the relationship between faith and works. I read the Bible often, and I try to conform my thinking to what it says. I also read many books by knowledgeable Christians to help. I find this collection and a book by Jerry Bridges to be very helpful.
I tend to look within myself to see if I have done enough to prove my salvation. I look at my choice of language, my anger, and my love of alcohol, and I have no hope for heaven. It’s an introspective approach some have rightly called “navel-gazing.”
Some of this introspection has been brought about by otherwise good teachers like John Gerstner, whose teaching is summarized in “A Primer on Roman Catholicism,” a short 44-page introduction to the topic.
Gerstner is very helpful in stating the distinction between reformation (read: Biblical) Christianity and Roman Catholicism. Gerstner’s basic explanation is given below in three formulas. The first two are wrong-headed. The last one is spot on. I have taken some liberties with the explanations.
Formula of Antinomianism (that means anti-law): FAITH – WORKS = JUSTIFICATION (This is often called ‘easy-believism.’ Walk forward at the invitation, mouth a prayer you don’t mean, and never doubt your salvation ever again despite the fact that there is no change whatsoever in your attitude toward sin. This idea is not Biblical. See James 1:22-27, 2:14-26.)
Formula of Rome: FAITH + WORKS = JUSTIFICATION (Works are infused righteousness in the believer that are meritorious. These works, a result of God’s grace, earn salvation in a sense. God saves by faith, but he does not save those who are not inherently righteous. See Romans 4:1-8.)
Formula of Reformers and the Bible: FAITH = JUSTIFICATION + WORKS (The faith that saves results in a heart set free from the guilt of sin; not guilt feelings, real guilt before God. Guilt is what gives sin the power to rule our lives. When that guilt is removed, our hearts are motivated by gratitude and love to do good works. Good works do not play a part in earning justification, only Christ’s work does. Faith alone saves, but not a faith that is alone. See Romans 6, noting that the chapter is about things that are true, not things we are to make true.)
The danger is that we will look within to see the presence of works to know we are justified. Gerstner was prone to this. His exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith’s chapter on Faith left me certain I was a Christian. His teaching on Westminster’s chapter on Repentance left me sure I was not a Christian. He followed Jonathan Edwards and the English Puritans. If Edwards was right, none of us would have true faith.
As I grow in Christ, my awareness of what God’s law requires grows as well. I become aware of more and more of my sin. I am convinced I am doing worse and worse. The Puritans would leave me without hope if I did not keep reading them.
The bottom line of their teaching is the way to live. This bottom line is: “Flee to Christ.” We are to abandon all hope in our works and run to Christ, Who is our righteousness. This kind of faith saves and gives hope. I abandon all hope in myself and rely completely on what Christ has done. Now I’ll go try to clean up my language…
I have often struggled with the relationship between faith and works. I read the Bible often, and I try to conform my thinking to what it says. I also read many books by knowledgeable Christians to help. I find this collection and a book by Jerry Bridges to be very helpful.
I tend to look within myself to see if I have done enough to prove my salvation. I look at my choice of language, my anger, and my love of alcohol, and I have no hope for heaven. It’s an introspective approach some have rightly called “navel-gazing.”
Some of this introspection has been brought about by otherwise good teachers like John Gerstner, whose teaching is summarized in “A Primer on Roman Catholicism,” a short 44-page introduction to the topic.
Gerstner is very helpful in stating the distinction between reformation (read: Biblical) Christianity and Roman Catholicism. Gerstner’s basic explanation is given below in three formulas. The first two are wrong-headed. The last one is spot on. I have taken some liberties with the explanations.
Formula of Antinomianism (that means anti-law): FAITH – WORKS = JUSTIFICATION (This is often called ‘easy-believism.’ Walk forward at the invitation, mouth a prayer you don’t mean, and never doubt your salvation ever again despite the fact that there is no change whatsoever in your attitude toward sin. This idea is not Biblical. See James 1:22-27, 2:14-26.)
Formula of Rome: FAITH + WORKS = JUSTIFICATION (Works are infused righteousness in the believer that are meritorious. These works, a result of God’s grace, earn salvation in a sense. God saves by faith, but he does not save those who are not inherently righteous. See Romans 4:1-8.)
Formula of Reformers and the Bible: FAITH = JUSTIFICATION + WORKS (The faith that saves results in a heart set free from the guilt of sin; not guilt feelings, real guilt before God. Guilt is what gives sin the power to rule our lives. When that guilt is removed, our hearts are motivated by gratitude and love to do good works. Good works do not play a part in earning justification, only Christ’s work does. Faith alone saves, but not a faith that is alone. See Romans 6, noting that the chapter is about things that are true, not things we are to make true.)
The danger is that we will look within to see the presence of works to know we are justified. Gerstner was prone to this. His exposition of the Westminster Confession of Faith’s chapter on Faith left me certain I was a Christian. His teaching on Westminster’s chapter on Repentance left me sure I was not a Christian. He followed Jonathan Edwards and the English Puritans. If Edwards was right, none of us would have true faith.
As I grow in Christ, my awareness of what God’s law requires grows as well. I become aware of more and more of my sin. I am convinced I am doing worse and worse. The Puritans would leave me without hope if I did not keep reading them.
The bottom line of their teaching is the way to live. This bottom line is: “Flee to Christ.” We are to abandon all hope in our works and run to Christ, Who is our righteousness. This kind of faith saves and gives hope. I abandon all hope in myself and rely completely on what Christ has done. Now I’ll go try to clean up my language…
Comments
The problem with using good works as a basis for the assurance of our salvation is that what we may consider a "good work" is not a true good work and the true good works that we perform may not be evident to our sinful selves. Jesus' parable to the sheep and the goats brings out this point. My assurance is not in anything that I do, but in the promises of Christ and what He had done.
I would write the formula as this:
1) God's Grace Saves Me.
2) By the gift of the faith, I can now believe and declared justified by Christ's actions
3) The result is that God can now use me for Good Works.
This is sequence of events (Eph 2).
Actually I am amazed at the late Rev Dr Gerstner (btw).
Being a charismaniac ;-) I was taught that if I was truly saved then the fruit such as love, peace, joy etc etc should manifest in my life. This is a recipe for being anxious and I had been like that. For we come home lay our head on the pillow and we judge our day as --wow I was not very joyful today, I do not think I was patient, maybe the HS has left me etc etc. We can turn the promises of God to a Law and that is unfortunate.
Hence, we need to hear again and again and be sustained and be assured of God's love for us - this is Jesus - we need to hear it from each other and from the pulpit, for this is not intuitive.
It is the love of Christ that constrains us - his love for us, the fact that we have received mercy, is the motivation for us to do likewise to others. My neighbor desperately needs my good works, he is dying to receive it.
He does not conquer our hearts by demolishing us, but by raising us from the dust of sin.
Blessings,
Lito
Yes, He does raise us from the dust of our sin, from the dead even.
J. K.