Grace, Faith & Works

GFW

Ephesians 2:8

Ephesians 2:8-10

• For it is by grace you have been saved,

through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by

works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ

Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Return to the Basics

• Satan messes with us on the basics• Theologians have grappled with this issue for centuries• GFW has a history of drifts, then reactions and

overreactions –AND UP TO TODAY…• For instance, Indulgences, then lutherism/calvinism• Penance (finite actions), not repentance (mind change)• Not necessarily a conversion study –even though GFW

motivates us to a relationship with God, GFW is really about how to SUSTAIN a HEALTHY relationship with God –the epistles are addressed to disciples about how to remain faithful

1. A firm foundation

2. How GFW “work” together

3. Paul vs. James ?

A Firm Foundation:Working Definitions

• Grace –getting mercy instead of what we deserve

• Faith –Hebrews 11:1

• Works –Our deeds, actions

What Scripture do you think of?

The Stool

Relationship Metaphors for God & us

• King –subject (Ps 47)• Creator –created (potter & clay, Is 65:8, Rom 9)• God (El Shaddai, God Almighty) –worshipper• Redeemer –rescued (Ps 19:14)• Lord (YHWH) –servant/slave• Shepherd –sheep (Ps 23)• Lawgiver –lawkeeper (Leviticus) CONTRACT• Jealous –objects of jealousy (Ex 20:5)• Husband –wife (Hosea)

Father –Son/Daughter

• Jesus introduced this one

• Jesus modeled this one

• Each one of us is at a different point on the GFW spectrum

• Jesus is our model of a healthy balance of GFW

God the Grandfather

The “Only Child” of God

God a bilateral power

God the Laid Back Father

A Father for whom you can never do enough…

A frustrated disciple

Metaphors not employed

• Grandfather

• Detached, unconcerned

• Sentimental

• A fellow power

• A copilot

Aspects of Father

• Jesus modeled the perfect, balanced and healthy relationship with the heavenly father that we are to strive for.

• “I am well pleased”

• Why have you forsaken me?

• Heb 5:8 –8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered

• And us, Heb 12:5

How GFW “work” together:Illustrations

Matthew 5:14 –see your good works –a light

Modern Day –something useful –a car

Grace Principles

• Jesus, full of grace & truth (John 1)• Where our ability to love and to know what love

is comes from (1 John 4:10)• Unmerited favor –it teaches us the extent of our

depravity (1 Tim 1:15)• It teaches us to say “NO” to worldly passions (Tit

2:11)• Something that “you grow in” (2 Pet 3:18, 1 Tim

2:1)• A status to live in and fall from (Gal 5:4)• A motivation to serve God (1 Cor 15:10)

There ARE Other Motivations…

• I don’t want to go to Hell!

• It will make loved ones happy

• God’s way is most “rational”

• Make the world a better place

• BUT, are they sustainable?

How GFW “work” together:Grace Illustrations

• A light –spark –motivation

• A car –the fuel

Faith Principles

• Impossible to please God without it (v.6)

• Will he find faith on the earth? (Lk 18:8)

• From the word of God (Rom 10:14)

• Vehicle by which we see the unseen (2 Cor4:18) –the eternal

• How we inherit the promises (Heb 6:12)

• It’s possible to have faith without love/grace 1 Cor 13

There ARE Other Vehicles…

• Other world religions, “faiths”’• Faith not based on the word of God• By Sight• “It’s the right thing to do”

What vehicle are you using?

There is ONLY one Faith –Eph 4:5

How GFW “work” together:Faith Illustrations

• Light –the candle

• Car –the vehicle

Types of Works (also deeds)

• Believe in Jesus (John 6:29)• Serve the poor (Mat 25:35)• Serve the lost (Mat 9:12)• One another passages• Contribution (1 Cor 16:1)• Being Generous (1 Tim 6:17)• Obedience to commands (Rev 14:12, 1

John 2:3)

Works Principles

• Works follow us (Rev 14:13)• I Tim 5:24-25 –they reach the place of judgment

–Good works are obvious• Tree and its fruit –good works and bad works

(Mat 7:15)• Works perfect our faith (James 2:22)• Jesus is looking for complete works (Rev 3:2 –

Sardis)• A proof of repentance –Acts 26:20• Judged by our deeds –Mat 16:27

How GFW “work” together:Works Illustration

A light –the illumination

Car –the odometer reading

What are you doing with your grace and your faith?

Paul vs James ?

• Romans 3:27-4:5 –James 2:14-26• both quote Gen 15:6• Justification used in both passages (greek word dikaioo

–be rendered just or innocent)• That word “boasting” to God –we’ve seen it already –

Judaism had distorted into a works oriented “covenant” –so much so that Paul is arguing justification by faith has always been there, begun by Abraham

• James does not contradict Paul, but he contradicts a false explanation of Paul’s doctrine.

James 2:17

• Faith and Works “work together” –they are not equally valid means to justification “on their own.”

• Lack of Works are a symptom of a “faith that justifies” problem

• No works –you have a vehicle/fuel problem

• No works –you have a candle/spark problem

What can we conclude?

• Justification by faith has always been there –since Abraham

• Justification by works is a man made distortion of God’s plan to justify by faith –faith and grace have been removed –the search for the “bilateral relationship with God.”

• Justification by faith includes works• Imitate Jesus’ relationship with God with all the

dimensions of a father -son relationship