The Apostle Paul was writing to those in Rome “who are loved by God and called to be saints.” He had just written warnings to his readers concerning the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For, although what could be known about God was revealed to all through his created works, those who were living ungodly and wicked lives did not honor God, and so they ended up worshiping the created rather than the creator.
And then, in chapter two, he warned against hypocritical judging of those people described for us in Romans, chapter one, i.e. he warned against judging others for their sins if we are engaged in the same or similar sinful practices which they are. So, he said,
“Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:3-5 ESV)
And then he wrote:
Romans 2:6-8 ESV
“He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”
Now, many people are quoting Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:8-9 out of context, and they are presuming upon Paul that he was against us doing any kind of works, or that he taught against the necessity of any kind of works with regard to our salvation and eternal life with God. But Ephesians 2:10 and Titus 2:14 dispel that notion right away, let alone the remainder of Paul’s writings in the New Testament, as he was led by the Holy Spirit.
For Paul definitely taught that what we do in heart response to what Jesus did for us in dying on that cross for our sins is what determines whether or not we are of true faith, and whether we will spend eternity in heaven or in hell. For God is going to render to each one according to his works. For faith in Jesus Christ is authored and perfected by Jesus Christ, and it is gifted to us by God, and it is not of our own doing, and we can only come to faith in Christ if God the Father first persuades us to give our lives to him.
[Eph 2:8-10; Heb 12:1-2; Jn 6:44; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Acts 5:32; Tit 2:11-14; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Eph 4:17-32; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Lu 9:23-26; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15,21; Matt 7:21-23]
Now, the good works which God requires of us are those which he prepared in advance that we should walk in them, as his workmanship (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14), so this is not speaking of our own fleshly works nor of our own fleshly attempts to be good enough to be acceptable to God. This is about us walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant) in doing what he has called us to do and in being who he has called us to be. If that is what we do, he will give us eternal life in him.
But, if we are self-seeking and disobedient to the truth of God’s word under the New Covenant, and so we obey unrighteousness, instead of obeying God, then there will be wrath and fury awaiting us, not eternal life with God. For this is what Jesus taught, and it is what Paul taught throughout his teachings, and Peter and John taught likewise. We can’t just profess faith in Jesus Christ and now we are good to go to heaven. We have to walk in obedience to our Lord and not in sin to have eternal life in him.
So, please take this to heart. Know what the Scriptures teach on this subject, for many people these days are teaching lies. For they are teaching that we can profess faith in Jesus Christ and now all our sins are forgiven and heaven is guaranteed us when we die, and nothing can take that away from us, regardless of how we live our lives from that moment forward. But “regardless of how we live” is not part of the gospel equation.
The truth of the gospel is that, as those of genuine faith in Christ, we must die with Christ to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. Sin must no longer be what we practice, but now righteousness and obedience to our Lord are to be what we practice. It doesn’t mean we will live perfect lives (see 1 John 2:1-2), but it does mean we are to live holy and godly lives in submission to Christ as Lord and sin is to no longer be what we practice. For, if sin is what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
No Less
An Original Work / March 19, 2012
I can do no less than praise You,
Lord, for all You’ve done for me.
You died for my sins to save me,
So I would be set free.
I adore You! Lord, I praise You!
Jesus, Savior, King of kings!
You provided my redemption.
Your grace has pardoned me.
I can do no less than serve You.
Lord, Your witness I would be,
Telling others of Your love,
And why You died on that tree.
Tell of how You gave of Your life,
So from sin we’d be set free,
So we could worship You forever,
And live eternally.
I can do no less than love You,
Lord, for You have first loved me.
You gave of Your life so willing,
Because You cared for me.
Turn from my sin! Obey freely!
Live for You each passing day.
Read Your word, and follow Your lead,
Lord, as I humbly pray.
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