Michael-Grams: M-G: 8.9.18 // Ephesians 2:8-10, Why Works Won’t Work, Part 2 of 2

Now, here is something about grace that is halleluyah cool,

That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [emphasis mine].

Works will never yield that kind of result! Satan is hoodwinking people to the pit while thinking they are working their way to paradise! Keep in mind these folks are not victims; they are volunteers due to the sin of unbelief (2 Cor 4:4, who do not believe). What Paul presents with crystal clarity in Eph 2:1-10 is that salvation is exclusively grace, and in man’s spiritual state without Christ, it would be literally impossible for man to warrant salvation by any human merit or effort of his own. Salvation is sourced in God, not works.

If an interpreter is being intellectually honest, there is absolutely no way he or she is going to conclude that works are the basis and means of salvation. In other words, works are the source of salvation without violating the context of this passage as well as all of Scripture. If they do, I would refer the reader to 1 Cor 2:14 and Gal 1:8-9.

Allow me to offer a contextual understanding of salvation being sourced in God alone in our text. Paul said it is not of yourselves (v8). He also indicated it was the gift of God (suggesting that a gift is not earned, v8), and not of works (v9). In v8 and v9, not is emphatic (cf. Rom 11:6). Now, we are created in Christ Jesus for good works (emphasis mine, v10), not by good works! This supports the idea of grace; we are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works!

Let me touch briefly upon through faith (Gk, dia pisteōs). The basis of our salvation is by grace which is God’s part; our part is through faith (Rom 4:5), the means of salvation. Read what Paul said in his letter to the Romans,

(Rom 4:2) For if Abraham was justified [judicially declared righteous] by works, he has something to boast about [contrast Eph 2:9, lest anyone should boast], but not before God.

(Rom 4:3) For what does the Scripture say? ABRAHAM BELIEVED [Gk, pisteuō, the verb form of faith] GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED [Gk, logizomai, imputed, credited, reckoned] TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

In Romans 4:1-25, this Greek verb (logizomai), occurs eleven times. John MacArthur observes that the word “…means to take something that belongs to someone and credit to another's account. It is a one-sided transaction [unilateral, added]. Abraham did nothing to accumulate it; God simply took His own righteousness and credited it to Abraham as if it were actually his. This God did because Abraham believed in Him…” The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Thomas Nelson, 2005), 1516.

Works cannot make us righteous before God, only by faith is that possible. The Source of salvation is by the grace of God, not by any human works. The whole construct of salvation is all grace, God’s grace, unmerited. Let’s not forget about mercy,

(Tit 3:3) For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another [He is talking about us!].

(Tit 3:4) But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,

(Tit 3:5) not by works of righteousness [those things deemed good outside of those things listed in v3] which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit [emphasis mine],

(Tit 3:6) whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

(Tit 3:7) that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life [emphasis mine].

Justified by His [amazing] grace, think of it! Judicially declared righteous by His unmerited favor for the purpose of becoming heirs according to the anticipation or expectation of life eternal! How can we explain moving from being condemned to becoming an heir? God’s love, mercy, and grace. It is because of these three things God provided so great a salvation as a way of escape for what is deserved and warranted for disobedience.

On the basis of grace and mercy through faith in Christ alone (Acts 4:12; 2 Cor 5:21), not of works (Rom 4:5), we are saved. If you are like me, I get the basis for salvation and the means as presented in the Scriptures, and I praise God for it! What flabbergasts me is love, grace, and mercy.

I have spoken of this before; I wrestle with the understanding of these three words more than anything in Scripture. I have a better understanding of Yahweh having no beginning better than I do these three words, and there is no way that I can get my arms around God’s unique attribute of everlasting. So, all that I can do is rejoice in the overtures of His love, grace, and mercy, not to mention all of His other incomprehensible perfections!

What “righteous” works could never do (cf. Isa 64:6); only through faith alone in Christ, we become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor 5:21), from condemnation to a new creation (Rom 8:1; 2 Cor 5:17)! People spend a lifetime working to become acceptable to God by doing good works. Paul declared, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph 2:8-9). When we take God up on that offer, we are spiritually acceptable in the sight of the thrice holy God immediately and forever.

After regeneration, will God stop us from painting the town? No. So, what is keeping us from sinning and partying, thinking we are going to heaven no matter what we do? We know by His Word that He can love us no more or any less whether we are faithful or sinful as a child of God. But love (the agape kind) has something to do with a believer who believes in eternal security not going recklessly debauch, but let’s set that reason aside for a moment.

Another consideration is that the arduous law of the harvest plays a major factor in whether one is saved or not; there are consequences of our actions, good or bad. God chastens us for misbehavior much the same way good parents do their children (Deut 8:5; Heb 12:6-13). Could a Christian woman cheat on her husband, for example? Yes, but then there are the consequences to deal with. Love and fellowship with the Godhead keep us from a whole bunch of trouble. It is called being faithful to the One you love. If we should sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 Jn 2:1). He knows we are going to mess up from time to time. That’s not an excuse but a reality.

Indeed, we resort to 1 Jn 1:9 by all means, but the consequences of our sins remain. God will forgive us and restore us to fellowship, but should we foolishly stir up a hornet’s nest even though we have been forgiven, the hornets are coming out to play for knocking on their door.

Let me add a third reason why those who are referred to as the “once saved always saved” do not fool with sin: (1) out of love and respect for the Holy One, (2) we face the consequences in the here and now of sinful actions, and (3) we enjoy the manifold blessings of fellowship and obedience in the will of God. Thankfully, He will never abandon us whether we are faithful or unfaithful (Heb 13:5). You may come up with more than these three, but this is what came to my mind while writing this.

If you were a blind person, how could you evacuate a burning building on your own cognizance? How can you earn what you cannot gain? How can you lose what you cannot keep? Without Me, Jesus told His disciple, you can do nothing (Jn 15:5).

In accordance with Scripture, works have absolutely, unequivocally nothing to do with salvation. In living for God, yes, but not in becoming a child of God. Salvation is all God and all grace. In progressive sanctification or growing and maturing in the faith, it is all about working in partnership with the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:16), growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. True faith bears fruit (Eph 2:10; Jas 2:18; Gal 5:22-23). If we claim to be an apple tree, there ought to be apples, not mangos, oranges, pears, or something else. A tree is known by its fruit, right (cf. Mt 12:33)?

Arguments against the eternal security of those who have been spiritually regenerated by the love, grace, mercy, and power of God are symbolic of those who are blatantly arrogant, shortsighted, and an affront to the Person and work of Jesus Christ. I say without reservations, any merit-based notion of salvation is demonically inspired. The consequences of preaching another gospel have frightful consequences (cf. Gal 1:8-9). There is no fear of God in the eyes of the wicked (Psa 36:1; Rom 3:18; contrast Psa 119:120).

My salvation was never about any works of righteousness which I had done, but according to His mercy He saved me, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on me abundantly through Jesus Christ my Savior, that having been justified by His grace I should become an heir according to the hope of eternal life. Salvation is nothing about works but everything about grace. The fruit comes afterward from a life lived for Him!

“Once saved always saved” is an irresponsible statement in my opinion. I prefer the eternal security of the believer in Christ (Jn 3:36; 5:24; Rom 8:38, 39). As a believer, this is what I know. (1) I can’t save myself apart from God. (2) I cannot keep myself saved apart from God. (3) I can’t even live for God apart from His Holy Spirit. This is biblically and theologically in accordance with Scripture.

A man who is physically dead is powerless. Nobody in their right mind will argue to the contrary. A man who is spiritually dead is like the man who is dead physically; he is literally powerless to do anything about his spiritual condition any more than a dead man about his physical condition (cf. Eph 2:1; 1 Cor 2:14; 2 Cor 4:4). This is the main reason why works as a source of salvation is a dead end. A dead man cannot do anything! This is why salvation is sourced in God, not works!

Remember Paul’s words in Eph 2:2 pointing out the way we used to be and live apart from Christ, in which you once walked according to the course of this world? All that work accomplishes, as a source of salvation, is steering people away from paradise and leading them straight toward the pit.

The poetry of grace is we are His workmanship [Gk, poiema, Eph 2:10]. Did you know that our English word poem comes from this Greek word? Let’s have some poetic license here. We (as believers) are individually a poem of God, created in Christ Jesus for good works (poetry in motion), which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them [those good works], not according to the ways of the world (Eph 2:2). This is why works won’t work for salvation? <><

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,

grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,

yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,

there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Refrain:

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide,

what can avail to wash it away!

Look! there is flowing a crimson tide;