Faith That Works

Chapter two. Ephesians chapter two. Faith that works. We kind of focused on the first two verses of this passage. It's also up on the screen if you need to look up there.

Last week, Praise the Lord. We're not saved by works because if that was the requirement, none of us would make it because our works are all stained by what? By sin. And we fall short of the glory of God. Jesus didn't fall short.

Praise the Lord. And he took our place on Calvary's Cross and he offers us salvation by grace through faith in him. Not only are we saved by the grace of God, we're also kept by the grace of God. I don't have to do good works, do certain tasks in order to try to keep myself saved because I entrusted my soul to the hands of my savior and I have entrusted myself to him and his work that he did on Calvary's Cross, his finished work to secure my home in heaven, a place incorruptible, undefiled, and fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for those who are kept by the power of God through faith in Jesus Christ. But does that mean that works do not play a part in salvation or in the Christian life?

And the answer to that is they do. Not as a means to being saved, not as a way to keep oneself saved, but as an evidence of that very thing that we are saved. Ephesians two eight nine and ten, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast for we are his workmanship. God's workmanship.

Again, not ours, but for the praise of our heavenly father. We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus, both created physically in him and also recreated in a in a sense, reborn as children of who? As children of God through Christ our savior. We are as workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto what? Good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Dear heavenly Father, thank you Lord for the grace of God that has been bestowed upon us. We pray, Lord, if there's one here today that is yet to receive your gift. We pray that today they would realize their need and that they would come humbly in faith to you and receive that which you offer them, salvation and eternal life, forgiveness for all their sins if they will but repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ who died for them and rose again. We pray, Lord, that we who know you would be challenged today in our service to produce more fruit to the praise and the glory of one who gave has given so much for us.

In Jesus' name we do pray. Amen. Last week, we declared the good news that those who receive Christ are kept by the grace and power of God who also will certainly finish what he has begun until the day that we stand before him without wrinkle or spot. Thanks to our savior. We are saved by grace and kept by grace.

We are sealed also by the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us. But God, as it seems to indicate here in verse 10, he saved us that we might do what? Good works. He saved us not only to take us to heaven, but he saved us that we might glorify him here in this life on earth as in heaven one day. He saved us to do good works.

They do play a crucial role in the Christian life. Yes, they do. Are they part of our salvation? Yes, they are. Not as the means, not as a way of keeping our salvation, but as a way of demonstrating it.

As a way of living it before others and in thanksgiving and in love for the one who has given us so much. Matthew Matthew five sixteen, I don't have it up here, but Matthew five sixteen says, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. On the verse that is up here, James two twenty, actually it's James two eighteen through 20, it says this, yea, a man may say thou hast faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, I will show thee my faith, what? By my works.

Thou believes that there is one God, thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know of a man that faith without works is dead, is lifeless. It's kinda useless. It it doesn't accomplish anything.

Faith without works is dead. True saving genuine faith does produce what? Works. It does. It is the necessary evidence.

James is writing, those who are saying, hey, it doesn't matter what I do. I'm faith's all that matters. No. Works don't matter. James says, okay.

How how how are you gonna show me your faith without your what? Works. You can't show me your faith. You say I'm showing my faith without my works. Well, I I'm gonna show you my faith what?

By my works. You say you believe, show me. Now praise God, he knows my heart and he knows your heart, but the neighbor that lives beside you, they can't see your heart. Your family member that lives with you, they can't see your heart. Your coworker that works beside you, they can't see your heart.

They need to. How how how how can they see your heart? By your works, by what we do, by the the expression on our face, by the faithfulness of our work, by the love and compassion that we show. These demonstrate to the world around us that we are the children of who? The children of God.

These bring glory to the one who has given us life. These verify the words I believe by the works that we do. Think about heroes. Why are they heroes? George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc, Douglas MacArthur, the American, British, and Canadian troops who stormed the shores of Normandy, Martin Luther, John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, David Livingston, Mary Slessor, Adoniram Judson, D.

O. Moody, Billy Sunday, we could go on. Some of those are political figures, some of them historical figures, some of them missionaries. They're all kinda heroes to me, that's why they ended up in my list. Why are they heroes?

They're not heroes primarily because of what they did not do. They undoubtedly were self disciplined and self controlled people and that did play a very important part in their success. But they're not heroes for what they didn't do. They're not heroes solely because of what they knew or believed. Although there is no doubt that their passion the passion they had for the things they believed in underlined the things they did.

But they're not known as heroes just for what they believed. These were not heroes merely because of the capabilities or talents they possessed. Although those God given gifts definitely assisted them in the things they accomplished. We call them heroes because of the things they did. The good works they did, the things they accomplished.

We call them heroes because of the things they did, Not merely didn't do, not merely believed, or not even the talents they possessed because what they did with those things. The good they did with the abilities they have been given them because of what they believe and the choices that they make that led to their what? Led to the actions that they took And thus, we call them heroes. We are saved by the grace of God through faith in the son of God who is our hero. Above all the others on that list or any others you could name, there is one superhero.

He is Jesus Christ. Why is he our hero? Because he left heaven. God left heaven. The one who made us.

Left heaven and became a what? Became a man. And he grew up like a man. He dealt with many of the same issues that young people deal with in growing up as God the Son. It's really hard to comprehend, but it's true.

And then at 30, he began to minister publicly and to declare who he was. And then he died on the cross for all of our sins. And then he did something else. He rose again from the dead. He is our hero.

He proved his love and grace and power by his ministry, his sacrifice and his resurrection from the dead. But God commendeth his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That word commendeth, what does that mean? It means he demonstrated. For God demonstrated his what?

Love for us. When God says, I love you, you can know God loves you because for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son. How do I know he loves me? He gave his son for me. He died for me.

Left heaven for me. Humbled himself. Suffered for me. Took my place. He is my hero and I hope he's yours too.

But as Christ demonstrated his love, we need to prove our love and faith in him. How do we do that? By our works. Not just by our assertions, but by the decisions we make and the good works we do and the actions that we take. Hebrews thirteen sixteen says this, but to do good and to communicate, forget not.

For with such sacrifices, God is well pleased. I've heard Christians say, well, you don't need to please God because, you know, it we're saved by God's grace and and we we're known, you know, we we all please God. No. We're saved by grace. We are kept by his love and his power, but we still have the opportunity to do those things which are pleasing unto him.

I think God is displeased when his children do the wrong thing. And I think God is pleased when his children do the right thing. Either way, they those who know Christ are his what? His children. But I know he's disappointed when we do wrong.

And I know that he's honored when we do right and glorified. And we have this opportunity as children of God who put our faith in him to do things, good things, to make sacrifices, to make decisions that are pleasing unto him who made us and who saved us. In James one and twenty two, it says, but be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves. Some of us think, hey, I'm pleasing to God, you know. He must be happy with me because I know that doing drugs is bad.

Well, that's good. But do you do drugs? You say he's pleasing I'm pleasing to God because I know I ought to go to church. Well, that's good. Do you go to church?

You say, I'm pleasing to God because I know I should be witnessing to other people. That's good. Are you witnessing to other people? You see, it's not just about what we say we know, what we shouldn't do or what we should do, but what we do that brings glory to who? Our heavenly father and demonstrates that the faith that is in us is what?

Israel and that we are the children of God. The Bible says the just shall live by faith. Live is a verb. It implies the actual living and doing part. How we live our life either demonstrates a vibrant faith or a lack thereof.

Good ground produces good fruit as we read in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 and some produced 30 fold and some 60 fold and some a 100 fold. But all those brought to life through faith in Christ do produce evidence, do produce fruit, do provost good works, attitudes, decisions, deeds, pleasing to who? Pleasing to our father in heaven. When you go up to that tree with time harvest and you pick that apple off, you wanna take that apple and what? Eat it.

You want it to be sweet and taste good. What kind of fruit are you producing? Does it is it sweet? It is pleasing. Does it bring glory to the one who has given us life?

By their fruits, Jesus said, you shall know them. Matthew seven. What is Christ talking about? But their character revealed in their decisions and their actions? Faith produces good works.

Listen to these verses. You wanna follow along there in Hebrews chapter 11. I'm gonna read several of them, one right after the other, starting with verse four. It says, by faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. What was offering?

It was a it was a work. He did something. Hebrews eleven seven, by faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house. What did Noah do by faith? He built the he built the ark.

Hebrews eleven eight, by faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and went out not knowing whether he went. What did Abraham do? By faith he went, followed God. Through faith, Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age. She had a child.

Hebrews eleven seventeen, by faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that had received promises offered up his only begotten son. Hebrews eleven twenty, by faith Isaac blessed Jacob. Hebrews eleven twenty one, by faith Jacob when he was dying blessed both the sons of Joseph and worship leaning upon the top of his staff. Hebrews eleven twenty four, by faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Hebrews eleven twenty seven, by faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured has seen him who is invisible.

Hebrews eleven twenty nine, by faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land. Hebrews eleven thirty, by faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days. Hebrews eleven thirty one, by faith Rahab the harlot perished not with them and believed not when she had received the spies with peace. By faith, Daniel prayed. By faith, David walked up to Goliath.

By faith, the prophets opened their mouth before kings who did not desire to hear what they had to say, but they trusted in the Lord who gave them the message and commissioned them to go. In fundamental circles, we have become so accustomed to equating holiness and spiritual maturity with what we say we believe in the convictions that we have. And I'm afraid sometimes we deceive who? Ourselves. Hey, I'm doing great.

I'm pleasing to God. I know I shouldn't drink. That's good. That's good. Is that all there is to the Christian life?

You don't drink alcohol. I hope you don't, but that's not all there is to the Christian life. There's a lot else you need to be doing. And almost every Christian I know would say, oh, I know I need to be witnessing. I I know we've gotta get those people.

Are you witnessing? I should be reading my Bible every day. That's good. Are you? The measure of our the closeness of our fellowship and our usefulness to our savior is not in simply what we say we know or believe or the convictions that we have that might be right and true and good and better than others, that's wonderful.

But what are what are you what are we doing? Christian life is not just believing but also what? Obeying and doing. Trust and obey. For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.

We're not rewarded in heaven someday based simply on what we believed. We're gonna get to heaven based on what we believe. But we're not gonna be rewarded in heaven based solely on what we believe. Well, how do you know that? Well, it just says it right here.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad. Two words there, that every man will receive the things done in his body according that he hath done. Do you get the the the point? One day we're gonna stand before the this this is Paul writing Christians. This is not Paul writing the unsaved, not talking about the great white throne judgment.

He's talking about the judgment seat of Christ before whom all cry all Christians, all believers, all children of God will appear and give an account for what we did with the life God gave us. It is not a place of punishment, it's a place of reward, but it also is a place of sadness and loss if we have nothing to what? Nothing to show. And the fact that that you believe that that doing this one thing was wrong and this other person believed it was right, if you didn't do anything with your life isn't gonna matter. The things that are what?

Done in the body. It's what we do. Living the Christian life is not a just a life of believing. It is. Yes.

But believing that results in what? In doing. Faith without works is dead. It's lifeless. It doesn't accomplish anything.

True saving faith does. And the stronger our faith grows, the more works it what? It produces. Our entrance into heaven is assured by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and his first finished work on Calvary, which we have humbly received by faith as payment for the freedom of our sin and God's gift of eternal life. But the extent of our reward at the judgment seat of Christ is based on our works.

And sadly, however, we who believe in God's word often only do things which are or when they are convenient. Well, I'll go to church if it's what? Convenient. Now I'm preaching to the choir because you're here and most of you are here every week and that's not you. But many Christians.

We say we have faith and trust the Lord yet when we sense the Lord moving in our life to service where if we get afraid and we tell him kindly just to leave us leave us alone. We say we believe in heaven and hell and the gospel of Jesus Christ yet we aren't doing anything about it. We're not reaching out to others with the good news. We believe we ought to be going, participating, serving in our local church, but then again, many are not. They just can't get out of bed.

You say you believe Jesus saves but you have yet to call upon him by faith as your Lord and savior. That's an important thing and maybe maybe there's someone here today, maybe that's you. James wrote the devils believe in what? Tremble. They know there's a God.

Does knowing there's a God save you? No. Putting your trust in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sins and rose again to save your soul from hell and forgive you of your sins, that saves you. Simply knowing there's a God doesn't. And there's a lot of people out there that know there's a God, but they haven't come to Christ as a humbled sinner to accept his forgiveness and eternal life.

He did the work, you must accept it. Surrender to him. The Bible there's a song I sing. It's in the hymn book. It's entitled, to whom much has been given, much more shall be required.

God is gonna judge us on that day not based upon what he gave somebody else, but what he gave who? What he gave you. It it's a fair judgment. God is not gonna judge you based upon what he gave somebody else. He doesn't expect you to be somebody else.

He expects you to be who? His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Says in second Corinthians eight eleven and twelve, now therefore perform the doing of it. That is there was a readiness to will so there may be a performance also of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not.

Two important things from this verse is this. First, Paul says, you need to perform that which you said you were going to do. What did they say they were going to do? They said they were going to collect an offering to give to Paul to take back to the church in Jerusalem. And Paul said, that's great.

Now, doesn't do any good if you don't follow through and do it. But he goes on to say, and God doesn't expect you to give beyond that which you possess. It's based on what you have, not what you have not. One church may give more than another. Does that mean the church that didn't give as much?

No. Was displeasing? No. Not if they gave what they they could. How about the widow who only had what?

Two mites. And Jesus looked at his disciples and he said, she's given more than anybody that dropped money in that offering today because she gave all she had. Sometimes we judge each other fairly, unfairly. But God judges us based upon what we have and he know what we have. What do we have?

Well, we have our gifts and abilities specifically that he has given to us and they're different. Some of us are physically able to do things that others can't. Some of us can speak up in front of others. Personally, I don't think that's my gift, but God is able. Some of us can sing or play instruments, some better than others.

I'm on the other part, not the better part, but I thank the Lord I can anyway. We're different. We do all have God's word. We do have the same precious promises. We do have the same spirit.

We do have his protection and provision. We do have varying amounts of time and energy to use in his service, varying amounts of possessions and finances and opportunities. That's what we have. Now what are we gonna do with what we have? That's the question.

What do you have? Now what are you gonna do with what you have? Are you doing? Are you demonstrating your faith by using the tools God has given you in his service to bring glory to him. Do you read and study God's word?

Do you heed its warnings? Do you share its message? Do you meet regularly and participate? Do you pray for others, with others? Do you give to those in need?

Do you encourage and care? Do you demonstrate your faith in the decisions you make? Do you stand and fight for what's right? Do you delight in doing things which are pleasing and glorifying to your father in heaven? Or you delight in the things that are simply gratifying the flesh?

It's easy for us to get caught up in the things of the world. The world out there is living to gratify the flesh. That's what they do. That's what you see on your television set. That's what you hear in the world's music.

That's often what you see in your neighbor. But if you're different, then God something expects something different of us to be salt and light that others may see our good works and glorify our father which is in heaven. Our faith should produce works. What kind of child are you? A child of God through faith in Christ?

As a child of God through faith in Christ, you belong to him. But are you an obedient, loving child, a faithful, diligent servant doing the will of your father in heaven or a disobedient and willful one who isn't producing much what? Fruit. In John 13, Jesus took a towel and he washed his disciples' feet. And they were kind of puzzled at that because, well, that was the that was a menial task.

The lowest servant or the lowest person in the house, that was their job. Not not Jesus. When he got done, he said to them, I've left you an example for you to follow, to serve one another. And he concludes with this, happy are ye if you do them. Happy are you if you do this.

Not just know this, not just have this conviction, but happy are you if you want, if you do it. I know a lot of Christians who are miserable and there's maybe more than one reason for that. But one of the reasons that we are miserable is when we're not doing the will of God. If you're a Christian living for the flesh and not living to please the Lord, then you're going to be what? Miserable.

But when we when we serve the Lord and we do what's right, he gives us joy. It gives us joy. There's a song in the hymn book that goes, there is joy in serving Jesus. And when you're producing beautiful fruit, not only brings him joy, but it brings what? It brings us joy.

When we're not, we know it. Does good works play an important part in the life of the Christian? Obviously, the answer is yes. If you do not do the things you know to be expected of you, we won't be happy. You may even have doubts about your relationship with God because the evidence is in short supply.

But if you put to practice those things you have been taught, if you'll pick up your cross and follow Christ each day, you will have joy unspeakable and peace that passes what? All understanding. Who are you this morning? Are you a child of God who's producing little fruit? There's a reason for that, and the reason's not him.

Are you a child of God who is producing much fruit and could produce some more? Praise the Lord. Keep going. Or are you someone today who could become a child of God through faith in Christ? You haven't been producing fruit because, well, there's there's no relationship.

There's no faith. You're you're not a child of God because you have yet to receive him. But if you will, if you will, he will change you, he will save you, he'll forgive you, and he'll help you. You do not have to live without him. You do not have to live powerless to the desires of the flesh or without knowing where you will go if you don't wake up tomorrow morning.

Jesus loves you. He showed it. His good work dying for you on the cross and rising again. He said if you'll come to him, he won't cast you out. He'll save you.

Maybe the day of your salvation is today. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord, for what you did for us, how you demonstrated your love on the cross of Calvary, to purchase for us eternal life and salvation. Lord, we don't deserve it. We don't deserve the opportunity that we have been given, but Lord, we thank you.

And how great is the love and mercy, grace of our God. Lord, it is now given us the opportunity not only to know you but to serve you and to make a difference in this world in which we live. Point others to Christ through our words and in our actions. Produce fruit to the praise of the one who has given us life. Lord, I pray that if there's something that's keeping us from producing the fruit that we should be, that we would be willing to confess that, that our fruit, our tree might be full, and our joy might be full.

Lord, I I pray if there's someone here that is yet to receive you and has been trying to produce fruit without you, that they would realize that there's only one way to have the peace, promise, and the joy to experience the love of Christ, that is by surrendering to him in faith, coming to him for salvation to be their Lord and savior. And I pray if there's one here today that's yet to do that or is unsure if they've done that, that they would come as we give this hymn of invitation. In Jesus' name, do pray. Amen.