Declaring that a Christian’s deeds are required for justification and salvation both denies Christ and leaves the believer in despair
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The disciples were in hiding, very likely imagining that they were next, that the authorities would come for them too. They had crucified the Lord; what would they do to his followers?
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Surely, it is thought, there must be something we must do. This is the seed of religion and heresy, for faith knows that we can do nothing.
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It is human nature to imagine that we can buy our way out of problems. The person caught speeding, therefore, pays the court to keep the offense off the books so that insurance rates will not increase
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Let us continue to keep Christ at the center of all things. The promised Messiah, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin from the lineage of kings, suffered, was crucified and buried for our sins.
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The ability to love God is not something that we are born with or that we can develop on our own with this fallen nature of ours. In order to love God, one must first be born again.
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Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because they valued their own traditions more than God’s commandments. We must be careful to evaluate those things that we believe and do.
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It is easy for us to confuse the plain sense of things. Sometimes we need someone to come in to our midst and cut to the chase. What is the point that underlies everything we do?
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Lift up the shield of faith in Christ every time the devil attacks. Do not trust your thinking and your doing. Trust Christ, who is your shield.
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Justification, righteousness, and salvation are not only received by faith, these things are preserved for us to the end of time.
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If we go to church, feed the hungry, and buy coats and mittens for the poor, but have no faith in the God who calls us to do such things, do those good works save?
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Jesus satisfied God’s requirement of keeping the law perfectly. Moreover, he paid the penalty for the sins of those who cannot keep the commandments.
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The living grace of God is Jesus Christ. There is no salvation available to us without this grace. There is no grace without Jesus Christ.
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We cannot reason our way to righteousness. Who has been able to say, “In this way, I shall be a good person” and been successful in the enterprise?
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There is a difference between justification and sanctification. Justification is that obedience to the gospel that hears and believes, that trusts God’s promise.
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Lasting peace with God comes through faith. Our deeds can make us feel good for a while but that feeling is not only false, it does not last.
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Yes, God wants our good works, but he earnestly desires our hearts. Works that are done with an unbelieving, faithless heart are not good works; they are hypocritical.
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Be careful that you do not expect God to favor you on the merits of your offerings or works or religious activity. God only has regard for such things when they are done with faith in him.
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Works must always flow from a heart of faith. Abraham did not make an offering of his only son, Isaac, as a mere work. Nor did he expect that God would honor the work itself.
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We must remain aware of a dangerous temptation as we try to keep the law. As we observe the law, we can be enticed to think too highly of ourselves.
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Do the things you are commanded and see if he will not pour out his blessings. But never expect him to justify you for the things you do.
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The issue here—and always—is Christ. Let us not think so much about rewards, but instead, about the reward. We must press on toward the real goal.
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We belong to Christ because of faith. This belonging means that we are his servants. So, we are to do his will and bidding. It also means...
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The Lord has fought the fight. He has gone before us and has won the long battle. He is with us and will never leave us or forsake us.
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Some orders of monks placed their hoods upon dead bodies, indicating that their good works were transferred to the account of the deceased.
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The opponents’ conclusions were that if one pays for his own reward, he can pay more than is due. Therefore, the credit must be transferable to others.
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There is nothing worthy of forgiveness and the resurrection of the body to everlasting life, save the work of Christ. Imagining otherwise does great damage to Scripture and to troubled hearts and minds.
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Eternal life is a reward from God that is based on something very important: his promise. It is not based upon how much work we have done.
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“Blessed are the poor,” Jesus says in Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. In Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, he says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit."
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Faith is the means of justification, righteousness, and salvation. Only faith keeps our souls at peace before God. Our good deeds will never give us at rest.
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