Faith and Works, or Faith That Works
By W. H. GRANGER
Although the Scriptures say, plainly as words can, that we are justified by faith without works; yet the opinion generally prevails that it must be by faith and works, because there is another text that says just as plainly, that “faith without works is dead.” Then again, the Bible teaches that eternal life is a free gift from God to those who believe in Jesus. Over against this is the text that says, just as plainly, that he will reward every man according to his works. Are these texts harmonious, and if so, how are they to be understood? They are perfectly harmonious when rightly divided. In the first place, it must be understood that these texts are not speaking of the same thing, but are teaching on two widely separated phases of the one great subject—salvation. I will state the difference by saying that eternal life is indeed a free gift to those who believe in Jesus, and that it is obtained by faith alone without works. The reward for works is not eternal life, but degrees of honor in the kingdom. Hence it is true that eternal life comes to the believer without works, and it is also true that all will be rewarded according to their works. Had man never sinned, then eternal life would have been his as a reward for obedience. But when man sinned, he forfeited his right to life, and excluded the remotest possibility of his ever enjoying it thereafter, except as a free gift from the Author of life. The life which we now enjoy is not ours by right of merit, but is a free gift to all, both good and bad alike, through Christ. In the first place, since we have already sinned, and thus forfeited our right to life, if the Lord were now to reward us with life in proportion to our works, is it not clear that life would simply be a wage paid in return for works, and hence not a free gift? Furthermore, inasmuch as we have all sinned, and since eternal life can come only as a reward to those who yield absolute, perfect, and eternal obedience, it is evident that no human being would have a sufficient store of good works with which to secure eternal life. To illustrate: say, for instance, here is a man who by his works has earned one thousand years of life in the kingdom; another has earned ten times as much; another one hundred times as much; it can plainly be seen that when the time paid them in wages for their works would expire, God must either come to their rescue with a gift of life, not in exchange for works, but absolutely free forever, or they would perish when their wages in life would expire. Hence man's only hope of securing eternal life is as a free gift from God. It is wholly by that grace through faith; otherwise it would not be of grace, but of debt. Works have their place, not as a means of justification, but as the fruit of it. It is not by faith and works, but rather, by faith that works that we are to be justified unto eternal life.