This was an excellent post! I just want to point out that there appears to be only one way of bringing faith and works into complete biblical harmony:
The good works done in faith by saved individuals follows from and is a result of their faith in Christ, and not any part of the cause of their salvation.
In other words, salvation, which comes by grace through faith, comes first, and the saved individual is then free to do good works⌠in gratitude for the mercy received.
Thank you Nick.
I just want to point out that I think the particular emphasis which Protestants place on whether works âresultâ from faith or âcauseâ salvation is unhelpful. Let me explain why.
Strictly speaking, works do not emerge from faith, but from grace. When I say âworksâ I donât mean merely doing âgoodâ things but doing good things which are meritorious unto justification (a la James 2:24). There is no such thing as a good work which justifies which is not preceded by and accompanied with Godâs grace. Without grace man simply cannot do any work which has God as its final and last end in the proper sense with which it would be necessary to increase in justification or merit anything in a strict sense. Hence, Iâd rather say not that good works follow from faith (in some sense they do), but that good works follow from grace. It hits the teaching closer to the root.
As for them not being any part of the cause of oneâs salvation, Iâm once again not sure itâs the most helpful way to parse things. Works, when conceived as works of the Mosaic law, or works meant to obligate God in strict justice (commutative justice) do not âcauseâ salvation in any sense whatsoever. If anything, such âworksâ of that kind merely distance man and God-- which is in fact the very opposite of a cause.
But if we mean works in another sense, works done in a filial relationship with God, in love and in grace, directed to a loving Father, then the Scriptures arenât quite so caustic. Granted, I understand the Protestant uncomfortableness with saying works can justify, but quite frankly, the language is completely Scriptural. James says that we are justified by our works.
When we think of works as loving actions done by grace, then it is absolutely necessary to affirm that these advance the Christian both in justification and sanctification. James says that we are justified by works. Paul says that God will, ârepay everyone according to his works: eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality through perseverance in good works,â (Rom 2:6-8). The way you prefer to parse it simply does not do justice to the Scriptural notion that our good works will be the subject of our judgment on the last day-- and that those who do good works will be rewarded with eternal life. As Jesus says, whoever does good works to the least of his brothers has done it to Him-- and on the last day he will be placed among the elect and have eternal life (Matt 25).
Good works are absolutely in gratitude for the awesome gift received, but they are also part of the process of justification and sanctification-- they set man more right with God. With this caveat-- manâs good works never obligate God in a strict sense. They only âmeritâ or âjustifyâ or âsanctifyâ man in a subordinate sense, completely and wholly dependent on Godâs grace which moves him first to the good work, and then gives him the ability to do it in a meritorious way.
But it is a glorious vision of God and man, which holds that God loves us so much that He wants to raise us to such dignity that we can, with His help, do such beautiful things.
-Rob
