Lots of people wonder about the role of good works in the life of the believer. While I agree that good works are important, I do not believe that good works are the necessary result of faith, nor do I believe that good works are necessary to gain entrance into heaven.
What Happens if You Don’t Have Good Works?
Some claim that while good works do not help a person gain eternal life, if a person does not have good works, then this proves that they never had eternal life in the first place and will not enter heaven with God in eternity. (To see some quotes from people who believe and teach this, check out the lesson “Good Works Cannot Prove Eternal Life” in my online course on the Gospel.)
But this is the same thing as saying that good works are a necessary condition for entering heaven.
When good works are a necessary result of faith and justification, then good works become a condition for glorification and entrance into the eternal kingdom.
If someone has faith in Jesus, but they do not have the good works that some people think are necessary, then according to some systems of theology, those people will not enter into glorification.
In such a system, human effort and good works have entered into the chain of events so that if a person does not have the necessary good works, that person will not be glorified.
It is obvious that the only real difference between a person who has faith and good works and a person who has faith without good works is the good works.
If Good Works are a Necessary Result of Justification, then they are a Condition for Glorification
If someone teaches that only those who have both faith and good works will end up in heaven, this means that they see good works as a condition for entering into heaven and final glorification. In such theology, the chain of events is this:
Justification → Good Works → Glorification
In such thinking, if a person does not have the necessary good works, the entire chain unravels. The person will not get glorified because they apparently were not justified.
So the logical conclusion is that if good works are a necessary result of justification, then this makes good works a condition for glorification.
The following logical syllogism may help clarify this further.
1. If a, then always b (where b is something a believer is responsible for).
2. If a and b, then g.
3. Not b.
4. Therefore, neither a nor g.
If good works are a necessary result of justification, this syllogism would be read this way:
1. If one is justified (a), then one will perform good works in life (b).
2. If one is justified (a) and it has been proved by works (b), then one can be sure that one will get to heaven (g).
3. One does not have the necessary works (not b).
4. Therefore, one is neither justified (a) nor is going to heaven (g).
According to this logic, if a person does not have good works, he or she will not make it to heaven. And if a person does not make it to heaven, then he or she was not justified. So, a person who does not have good works is not going to heaven.
Logically then, the belief that good works are a necessary result of justification is equivalent to the belief that good works are a condition for entrance into heaven and glorification.
Yes, Good Works are Important!
None of this means that good works have no place in the life of the believer. As I point out in my online course on the Gospel, good works are essential in the life of the believer for many things. But good works are not necessary to gain glorification into heaven, or to prove that we have truly been justified.
If we want to maintain the gospel truth that eternal life is by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, then we must hold to the biblical truth that good works do nothing to help earn, keep, or prove eternal life.
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I much prefer to see fruit then works. Fruit being an attitude or disposition change.
Is not the fruits the result of sowing ? Is work done in sowing ? Work will lead to fruits ?
Gabriel Mason I don’t think so, not really. “Ergon” Greek word for “works” communicates specific works of word deeds or actions. Fruit can be considered a little different, a softer stance, a smile, a desire to not sin etc. they come from different words and have different meanings. If the context is seeing some change in a convert then yes there somewhat used interchangeably in Christendom.
Jeremy:
Why is there a such a great correlation between works and eternal life that is expressed in Chapter 25 of Matthew?
Also, why do many preachers ignore the letter of James? Is it not part of Holy Scripture? Here is what stated in that letter:
Faith and Works.
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?i
15 If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?j
17 So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 Indeed someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
19 You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble.
20 Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?k
22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by the works.
23 Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God.”l
24 See how a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
What the scripture is saying here is that if you have faith you will naturally produce works. The two come along as a package. If you claim to have faith but do not move in the way that God tells you then you don’t truly have faith. This passage in James 2 14-24 that you referenced(you said Matthew, its in James) uses Abraham offering his son for sacrifice as an example. Abraham could not claim to have faith in God and trust His plan and then not take the action to show it. If Abraham didn’t take the action then he didn’t have faith.
The verse is not saying that your works are a requirement but rather that they are a result of your faith. Faith without works is dead, as in your faith is dead if you produce no fruit.
Anthony,
Actually, James 2 teaches something else entirely…
https://redeeminggod.com/sermons/james/james_2_14-26/
https://redeeminggod.com/the-heresy-in-debates-about-james-2/
https://redeeminggod.com/even-the-demons-believe/
Jeremy,
I read the first link you posted. There is some really great information in there.
Several key details that you included I was unaware of. Something I completely overlooked was the fact that even demons believed. This point demolishes my argument above. However, I don’t think that we necessarily disagree on this because I was speaking from the perspective of a follower of Christ. Even in your own words you build a correlation between works and faith from the point of view of a follower.
“The word perfect in the Greek means mature. Our faith, our relationship, out intimacy, our fellowship with God, matures and grows and develops only as we live in obedience to Him. Do you want to know why the faith of some grows cold? Because they do not work. Do you want to know why some Christians lack vibrancy and joy and the intimacy and closeness with God they wish they had? Because they don’t have works. Do you want to know why God sometimes feels distant and like you are out of fellowship with Him? Because you don’t have works. Do you want to know why some Christians always seem to be immature and never grow? Because they don’t have works! Do you want to know why some Christians always struggle with sin? Because they don’t do the works that they can do. Good works causes our faith to grow. Works help keep your faith alive and vibrant and exciting and growing.”
What is really important here and what we undoubtedly agree on is that works is not a requirement of salvation.
Shannah,
Excellent questions. I have written on these passages here:
Matthew 25
https://redeeminggod.com/sermons/matthew/matt_25_1-13/
https://redeeminggod.com/sermons/matthew/matt_25_14-30/
https://redeeminggod.com/sermons/matthew/matt_25_31-46/
James 2:
https://redeeminggod.com/sermons/james/james_2_14-26/
https://redeeminggod.com/the-heresy-in-debates-about-james-2/
https://redeeminggod.com/even-the-demons-believe/
Also, I will go into great depth on these passages in my online courses on the Gospel.
I would rather have a customer who pays me with or without complaint for my labors, than one who praises me for my fine craftmanship, and refers me to all her friends, but never actually compensates me for my work.
I think God feels the same way. People with pleasant personalities are moving in the right direction but until they start sharing with others in a way that meets real tangable needs, all the niceties seem a bit hollow.
“I will not give into the Lord that which costs me nothing.”
The controversy hinges on the definition of “good works.” The people who insist that good works are necessary are claiming the right to define “good works.” Not everything that they claim is a good work may actually be one and some things that they think are not good works actually are. Whether a work is good or not depends upon the context in which it occurs. They are also misconstruing the meaning of James’ statement. This is another case of pointing out the mote in someone else’s eye. People should concern themselves only with doing their own good works IF THEY BELIEVE THAT GOOD WORKS ARE NECESSARY and quit trying to tell other people how to live.
Excellent point! Everybody has “good works” of some degree or another, but there are “fruit inspectors” out there who want to make sure that people have the good works that THEY think are the right kind. If not, then they say, “You’re not a Christian!”
I frankly believe that most people who call themselves “Christian” aren’t really Christians but I’m enough of a universalist to believe that YHWH has a plan to ensure that nobody is damned to eternal torment. We simply don’t know what that plan is. It’s not our concern anyway. The only things that we need to concern ourselves with are the two things that Yehoshua told us to do: Share the Good Word (“Good Spell” or “Gospel” in the old tongue) with everyone who will listen and Treat our neighbors as we would want to be treated (which includes feeding and clothing the NEEDY). It’s important to note that Yehoshua also told his followers to quit bothering to share the Good Word with people who were not interested in hearing it and absolutely did NOT tell them to torture or kill anyone who refused to accept it.
Sadly the term “Christian” (with or without the quotation marks) has so many different meanings to different people. Instead of referencing people who look, live and act like Jesus, it often merely refers to people who self-identify as having loosely affiliated themselves with the “Christian” religion (in some cases as opposed to no religious affiliation, or as opposed to being affiliated with some other religion). We have a friend who has one side of the family who are part of the Mafia (not where we live). However, they describe themselves as “Christian” because they get baptized, married and buried by their religion (church). But they don’t look or act like Jesus.
My wife and I are sometimes asked if we are “Christians”, and often asked if we are “church people.” We answer that we are followers of Jesus. Amazingly, almost everyone “gets that” except “Christians” and “church people,” who do not understand why we do not identify with them and how they are viewed and understood by much of our culture.
Don’t misconstrue any of what I’ve said as a judgment of “Christians” and “church people.” All we really know about these people is that they identify in some fashion with a religious system and identify as “Christians.” Whether or not they trust in Jesus for eternal life is between them and Jesus and we don’t bother trying to figure it out. However, we can’t help but notice some of them don’t remind us of Jesus.
Jeremy
I think the problem is how we westerners think and is revealed in this quote I picked up along the way somewhere (I think its a NT Wright quote or something out of one of his books) and hang up at my desk. ” Union and perfection are two different journeys with very different strategies. Common religion seeks private perfection: the mystics seek and enjoy the foundation itself – divine union, totally given. Personal perfection insists on private knowing and certitude. Surprisingly, union is a much better way of knowing.”
To me works will come out of the God that you connect with or know. We westerners always want everything defined and listed. I am sick and tired of that!
Ken
Entrance into heaven? This sounds similar to the preaching on hell. Entrance into the kingdom seems more appropriate. And the kingdom is now. Good works and the very word good make me suspicious. Someone once called jesus goid and he stepped back from any claim of being good. Similar with good works. Are we capable of any good works or is more the case that God carry out good works through us. Sometimes it’s better if we know nothing about them. Lest we get puffed up. Lest!!! Lol. Listen to me blabbing King James verbal. There is really no good work in us. It emanates through us via God surely. As jesus was thoroughly human I think he acknowledged this by refuting the good compliment. It, s okay though. Thankfully we all still loveable though. Even if a bit outta line most times.