Faith vs. good works, which is it to be?

A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump quipped that he hoped his peacemaking efforts in crises around the world would help him gain entry into Heaven.

While I guess we should all be grateful as Americans that our president is concerned about eternal things, President Trump’s spiritual musings, unfortunately, help popularize a widespread theological and spiritual misunderstanding about how one’s spiritual destiny is determined.

Contrary to popular opinion, a person’s eternal destiny is not determined by their “good works” outweighing their “bad works” on God’s eternal spiritual scales. When one turns to Holy Scripture, God reveals a very different answer defining one’s eternal destiny.

It is always advisable, as a Christian, that one should turn to the Bible, rather than manmade theological systems, in seeking answers to such eternal destiny-determining questions.

What more logically correct place to start than with God’s Son, Jesus Himself? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6)

Evidently, even during Jesus’ earthly sojourn, there was confusion about how one’s eternal destiny was determined, with many, even within Jesus’ circles, clinging to worldly religion’s understanding of “earning” eternal salvation by good works.

In this whole discussion and debate, I am frankly surprised that Jesus’ interaction with the thief on the cross is not mentioned more often (Luke 23:39-43). Jesus was crucified with two “malefactors” (notorious criminals), one on each side. One of the criminals mocked Jesus, saying, “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.” (Lk. 23:39)

The other crucified criminal, however, “rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss, And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Lk. 23:40-43)

Obviously, the thief on the cross had no good works to commend him for, other than his heartfelt understanding of Jesus as the Messiah.

Jesus Himself also emphasizes the inadequacies of “good works” unless they are preceded by, and produced out of, a personal relationship with Him.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warned his hearers: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:22-23)

The necessity of that personal relationship with Jesus where He is each person’s personal Lord and Savior is emphasized in each of the Gospels. In the Apostle John’s Gospel, Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

To put it in plain language, each person must come to the place where Jesus is “their Savior,” not just “the Savior.” Christianity is “a first-person personal” religious faith. Each Christian’s relationship with Jesus should be as real as any relationship they experience in their lives.

One often overlooked biblical passage in relation to the “faith vs. works” debate is I Corinthians 3:11-15. The Apostle Paul writes: “For other foundation; can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s works abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved: yet so as by fire.”

Each person lays a foundation which is the personal relationship with Jesus as your individual Lord and Savior. Then, upon that foundation, a person can build one of two foundations: “gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble.” Those who build the right foundation receive reward upon entry into Heaven. Those who foolishly build “wood, hay, and stubble” shall still be saved, “yet so as by fire.”

The legendary Martin Luther, a great pioneer of the Reformation’s mantra of salvation being “in faith alone, in Christ alone” made a very powerful argument against “good works” salvation when he noted that a “good work” done to earn salvation ceases to be a good work because it is being done for a selfish reason — to earn salvation and favor with God.

In a proper relationship with Jesus, we as Christians serve Him and do good works because we want to please Him. I am reminded of Eric Liddell, the hero of the movie “Chariots of Fire.” Liddell felt that God had created him to be a missionary to China. However, Eric was also a very fast runner, someone who could qualify for the Olympics.

His sister, who was a bit of a nag, was giving Eric a hard time for spending so much time on physical training and running. So Eric took his sister aside and explained to her that he knew God wanted him to be a missionary to China, but that God had also made him fast. And when he ran, “he felt God’s pleasure.”

As Christians, we should do all that we can do because we want to feel God’s pleasure with our obedience and fulfillment of His will for our lives.