Christian Message Boards: GOD'S FAITHFULNESS AND OURS

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Posted by WildB (Member # 2917) on :

by Cornelius R. Stam

Many people suppose that salvation is God's reward to those who do their best to live good lives. This is not so, for God's Word says of those who are saved:

"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (II Tim. 1:9).

Referring to this "salvation which is in Christ Jesus," St. Paul says:

"It is a faithful saying, for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him" (II Tim. 2:10,11).

In other words: The believer, viewing Calvary aright, has "died with Christ." Viewing the Cross, he has said: "This is not Christ's death. He was no sinner. He had no death to die. He is dying my death!" And so by faith he is "crucified with Christ" (Gal. 2:20). The penalty for all his sins has been fully paid, for he died -- in Christ, and thus has also risen with Christ "to walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:3,4).

This is all God's doing, and only now is the believer in a position to do good works that will please God. Thus the Apostle writes of believers, in II Tim. 2: "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, He also will deny us" (Ver. 12). When the believer's service for Christ is reviewed some, indeed, will "receive a reward," but others will "suffer loss," though they themselves will "be saved, yet so as by fire" (I Cor. 3:14,15).

It will be deeply embarrassing, in that day, for unfaithful Christians to face empty-handed the One who gave His all, Himself, to save them. Yet salvation is by grace, thus the Apostle hastens to conclude his statement in II Timothy 2, with the words:

"If we are unfaithful, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself" (Ver. 13)

Thus our rewards as believers depend upon our faithfulness, but our salvation, thank God, on His!

Posted by Carol Swenson (Member # 6929) on :

Salvation comes from His righteousness, not ours.

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we put on our prized robes of righteousness, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves we fade, wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. (Isaiah 64:6, TLB)

We do not become righteous by being good. This passage can easily be misunderstood. It does not mean that God will reject us if we come to him in faith, nor does it mean that he despises our efforts to please him. It means that if we come to him demanding acceptance on the basis of our “good” conduct, God will point out that our righteousness is nothing compared to his infinite righteousness. Sin makes us unclean so that we cannot approach God (Romans 3:23) any more than a beggar in rotten rags could dine at a king’s table. Our best efforts are still infected with sin. Our only hope, therefore, is faith in Jesus Christ, who can cleanse us and bring us into God’s presence.

(The Handbook of Bible Application)