True Faith Vs. Works Salvation
We will be known by our fruit
John 8:39 If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham
We do not and cannot save ourselves. God alone is our Savior and it is the Lord that gives the increase and transforms us into the new creation we must become to enter His Kingdom. However, God’s Word has been twisted into false doctrine over the centuries and the traditions of men have widely replaced the truth and are leading many people down a broad road to destruction. We bear the fruit of salvation only by staying connected to the vine which is Christ. Any other source is not of God no matter what kind of “goodness” packaging or “religious” wrappings exist.
Many worship Jesus with their lips yet their hearts are far from Him. They are not led by the Spirit of God and while they may be religious, the power of God is not working within them. Those that live in this error are the ones believing and living a works salvation. When told the truth about salvation and sin, they frequently will accuse the one preaching righteousness of promoting a works salvation. The exact opposite is true however as will be discussed below.
Romans 8:13-14 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
These words written to believers (i.e. the Church in Rome) are hated by the devil for their clarity about how we die or how we find eternal life. These crisp, unambiguous passages are either ignored on purpose or hidden from the minds of those that worship Jesus with an impure heart. Those blind to the truth cannot speak openly about such verses as the light of God would directly expose the lie. That is how the devil operates, he is out to deceive us and he does this by lying. If our hearts are not pure with God, we will be blinded to God’s truth.
God has continued to bring me more light as I have diligently sought the truth and my ability to communicate truthfully on matters of faith has grown immensely over just the past few months. I praise God for that and I pray that what I write will edify the reader and especially those earnestly seeking to know God.
What is actually a true faith is often called a “works” salvation today. What is commonly called ”faith” today is actually the real “works” salvation as it shows us a different path into heaven than the one Jesus told us to follow. This is no salvation at all. There is only one way to be saved and that is true faith IN Jesus. True faith is not just saying some words about Jesus but that is what most are taught today and hence we have all these disputes over salvation
True faith is living for God and following our Lord and sure it includes verbal ascent that Jesus is Lord but it comes from our hearts in addition to our lips. Nowhere does the Bible say we can say some words with our mouths and be saved. False teachers love to cherry pick a verse from Romans to say otherwise but they are blinded by their love of sin and unwillingness to surrender fully to God. They forget the part about our heart, we must love God with all of it.
Romans 10:8-9 The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus AND believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you WILL BE saved. If the word (Jesus) is in your heart, you will not practice sin, you will be led by the Spirit of God instead. Notice also, this verse does not say we are saved, it says we will be saved which is consistent with the rest of Scripture that tells us we must overcome and endure to the end to be saved. No resting on your laurels here and backsliding into sin, do that and you are doomed to destruction as there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin. Please read Hebrews 10:26-39 if you think for a moment we can say some words about Jesus and call ourselves saved. Our sanctification must be completed or else we will be destroyed.
Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved
I get so mad at those that teach OSAS or eternal security. I am mad at the powers of darkness, the devil who has the hearts of those that believe this doctrine of demons. We need to help bring people to knowledge of God, but we do not save people and people are not saved until the very end.
The truth is that we are given all kinds of actions and conditions we must meet to finish the race, show ourselves worthy, know God and reap eternal life or salvation. Our doing these actions and attaining to these conditions (click hyperlink to drill down) is the proof we are operating with a true faith and following the Lord Jesus. It can be even be chunked up further into a single commandment that Jesus reminded us of: Love the Lord With ALL Your Heart.
If we do this ONE THING our flesh dies and the Holy Spirit takes control of us and we are indeed led by the Spirit of God. If we are led by the Spirit of God, it is not us working to be saved – it is the power of God working IN US. It is amazing how tricky the devil has been in perverting the truth. Being led by the Spirit into all righteous acts is a repeated theme throughout the whole Bible yet is rarely the center of teachings on how to live for Christ.
WORKS SALVATION DEFINED: A works salvation is any doctrine that teaches we can be saved by any other means than being led by the Spirit of God. Jesus said it very clearly when He said:
Luke 9:23 “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and FOLLOW Me
A works salvation is a false salvation as we cannot earn our way into heaven it is only by the grace of God that we can be saved. But that grace of God is indeed the power of God working in us. We still must meet the conditions and DO all the things Christ told us we must do, but we do them THRU Him and IN Him. We follow Jesus by following the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth
John 14:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the WORKS that I do he will do also; and greater WORKS than these he will do
The WORKS Jesus speaks of is sowing Love to our brothers (the Royal Law), preaching the Word in season and out of season and where it is God’s will, performing the miracles of deliverance, healing and prayer that Jesus demonstrated that all came about from the power of the Holy Spirit that was working in His fleshly body. Jesus was once told to go outside to see His brothers and mother, in reply He said:
Luke 8:21 My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it. Jesus spoke of His true sheep and had this to say.
John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. Those truly saved listen to the Spirit and follow His Spirit. Are you beginning to see the truth?
If we truly have God’s Spirit we will follow God our Master and our Lord. Jesus told us we cannot serve two Masters. The question is who are we following and who or what is in control of thoughts, actions and deeds? If the Spirit of God is not both 1) In us and 2) controlling us — then we do not belong to Christ and if we think we are saved we are following a works salvation.
Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ
The entire Book of Romans is chock full of clear passages that tell show us the truth about the Spirit and how we are led down the path that leads to eternal life.
Romans 6:16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? The Holy Spirit will never lead us or tempt us into sin as God tempts nobody.
Works of the Flesh
We have all been taught that Christians are not under Law but Grace. While this is absolutely true, there are preconditions and qualifiers that go with that statement. If we are led by the Spirit we will not sin and it is God’s power/grace that enables us to obey. If we are not led by the Spirit, we absolutely will transgress the Law and Sin.
Galatians 5:18 But IF you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Paul continues and tells us what the WORKS of the flesh are, the very things we cannot practice if we are led by the Spirit of God.
Galatians 5:19-23 Now the WORKS of the FLESH are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Practicing these unrighteous acts is a one way ticket to hell regardless of what one professes with their mouth. If we are doing these things, Jesus is not our Lord and we are not being led by the Spirit of God. If we think we are saved nonetheless we are following a “works” salvation.
Paul reinforces that we must have the Spirit in us and be led by the Spirit to fulfill the Law. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The WORKS that Paul speaks of in his Epistles were the works of the flesh and religious rituals defined in the Law of Moses and the related Jewish customs. All such things were nailed to the cross and we have that victory in Christ, IF IF IF — we walk in the Spirit. Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus, Paul, any Apostle or any Prophet ever tell us that striving to obey the commandments of God is WORKS. I challenge anyone to find a verse properly divided that says obedience to God is works. If obeying God is “works” then Jesus taught a works salvation.
John 14:15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments
We clearly are not saved by the works of the Law (of Moses). Getting circumcised, holding Feasts, obeying specified Holy Days, what we eat or don’t eat, performing various rituals do not save, these were only a temporary solution until God sent the SEED of Abraham, which was Jesus.
Paul’s Epistles are commonly perverted into false doctrines that teach people their sin matters not and that trying to obey the commandments of Jesus is works. I will give a prime example of a famously twisted passage that is used to tell Christians they can keep on sinning with no salvation consequences.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. All one has to do to see the truth here is read the prior 7 verses in Ephesians and the one immediately following. Paul is clearly not saying we do not have to obey God’s commandments, in fact he is saying we absolutely will obey His commandments because we are walking in faith, being led by the Spirit of God.
Ephesians 2:4-5 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Grace is what allows us to be saved. Grace is the power of God, to do all things through Christ who is IN us when we follow Him. Following Christ means to be led by the Spirit of God.
Ephesians 2:1-3 And you He (Jesus) made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the (demon) spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Paul is telling us that true believers have STOPPED sinning and then goes on to remind us that it is the power of God by which we do this and not by following a bunch of dead customs and written ordinances that were contained in the Law of Moses. This law was done away with in totality and you can read a post dedicated to this topic by clicking here.
As I have repeatedly stressed, we can never obey God’s commandments operating on our own power or strength. It is indeed the power (grace) of God that saves us and allows us to walk in true faith with Him being led by the Spirit of God. The devil has deceived many by telling us that we cannot obey God. Yet God said we can do all things through Christ, with God all things are possible and there is no temptation we cannot overcome. Obeying God is our duty, it is not works but just remember we obey out of a pure heart for God and it is only by His power and grace that we are able and that is why we can never boast.
Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” This oft twisted passage taken by itself, out of context with the rest of Galatians has been used to tell people that trying to obey God is works and is not required for their salvation. Please read the prior verse and the whole of Chapter 2 and I believe you will see through Satan’s deception. The bottom line goes back to the opening verse. We must be led by the Spirit of God to be saved. It is God doing the work in us, but the work itself must be done.
Modern Day Works Salvation
So as we see above, what is commonly FALSELY called a works salvation, is true worship by Christians who love God with their whole heart and are led by the Holy Spirit in obedience to the commandments of Jesus. This is not works, it is the way of salvation that those with pure hearts can readily see. Man has invented “religion” and “doctrine” that represents the true works salvation of the end times church.
I have observed a growing number of teachers promoting the requirement of Christians to follow the Hebrew Torah. This is putting Christians back under the Law of Moses and was the specific point Paul had in the Book of Galatians. The Law of Moses was totally abolished on the cross. These teachers claim we must follow the seven Jewish Feasts or that we must follow the Jewish dietary regulations and not eat pork etc. I have studied this hard as I want the truth and this doctrine is a clear-cut works salvation and has nothing to do with true salvation. I don’t have space to get into this but know that the Law of Moses and ALL of its ordinances, regulations, feasts, ceremonies, food rules is totally and eternally done away with. The new covenant replaced the Torah. We don’t need to make sacrifices to atone for sin at a feast, Jesus is our sacrifice. What we need to be doing is to be led by the Spirit of God. All this other stuff is works.
A more insidious (IMHO) works salvation is rooted in the main stream apostate church. God saves people, even those that sit in churches that do not teach sound doctrine; but there are many false converts following doctrines that do not conform one to godliness. At the core of modern-day works salvation doctrine is the belief that a simple profession of faith is the sign of our salvation and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. We have hundreds of Christian denominations all with differences doctrines and rules for worship. Many of them teach we must do this, that and whatever to be saved and in the will of God. Rarely is being led by the Spirit the point being stressed but typically it is a myriad of rituals, ordinances and actions that are man-made and have become our traditions. This includes things such as: joining their church, going to church regularly, going to Sunday School, attending group Bible studies, being baptized, taking communion, going to confession before a man, tithing their money, saying a specific prayer, avoiding vices like drinking, smoking and chewing; and various other “works” to be saved.
Jesus gives us an example of what happens to someone who professes a faith in Him and does many good deeds, yet is not led by the Spirit of God. We must know Christ and the only way to do that is to follow Him and be led by the Spirit.
Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you
Jesus came against the Pharisees who were book smart on the Scriptures but lacked real understanding. Their hearts were far from God yet they studied the Scriptures but for all the wrong motives. They were the blind leading the blind and we have a lot of that going on today in the apostate church.
John 5:39-40 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life
Do not misunderstand me here. The Word of God is important, in fact essential to our salvation, it is indeed how we are washed and made ready for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But we must seek God with a pure heart and not be doing our study out of any selfish ambition, seeking the approval of men or esteem from our community. Otherwise Bible Study is a dead work and one will not see the real truth in the Word. It is not enough to have knowledge of the truth, we must DO the truth.
Romans 2:13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. We do this by being led by the Spirit.
Many of the “works” I cited above edify us and bring us into fellowship – but doing them does not earn us favor with God and certainly does not save us or even indicate we are saved. The litmus test has always been that we must be led by the Spirit of God. This means that we must stop practicing sin and that we cannot live like the world does and have an impure (less than 100% committed) heart before God. Paul gave Timothy guidance on how to spot such teachers and their false doctrine.
1 Timothy 6:3-5 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
So many false teachers want to argue what words mean. They will spend a half hour telling you what the word “believe” means and even longer throwing reviling accusations against those preaching righteousness. Actions speak louder than words. We say Jesus is Lord by our deeds not by what we say. If you get that, the verse following will take on new meaning for you.
1 Cor 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. We say Jesus is Lord by what we do. That is not works, it is following Jesus and doing what He says to do. That is why we call Him Lord, we believe on Him and we follow Him. Remember the question Jesus asked “Why do you call me Lord and NOT DO what I say?”
I hope my explanation about Works Salvation and the importance of being led by the Holy Spirit has edified you. I am persecuted at times and accused of teaching a works salvation. I am not doing any such thing, I am teaching that we must Love God with all our hearts and follow Him via the leading of the Holy Spirit. If we do not follow Him, we are not saved and we deceive ourselves. All the obedience and good works I do and you do, is done by the power of God working in us. The real me, the one that existed prior to God’s taking control is a pathetic, selfish, evil, and wicked person at heart. I have now died to self and live for Christ. The words of Paul have become my mission statement.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
As the current popular Christian Pop song goes “He is not finished with me yet“. But my faith grows stronger and His work in me is bearing more fruit and I am trusting that He will complete what He has started. Praise Be to God.
