Good Works Necessary to Salvation.
By Lucius Sanborn
Whether we ever reach the final abode of God's people, or not, depends much upon what our works are here. We think the Scriptures sustain this assertion. Matt. 7: 20–27 says: “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. 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. Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” By reading Luke 13: 23–28, we find that some entertain hopes of being saved who will be sorely disappointed, because they were workers of iniquity. Oh, who can tell the bitter grief of those who have lived and died in the full fellowship of the church, expecting a welcome among those who shall walk the banks of the river of life, when they receive instead the sentence “I never knew you, depart from me”! As we learn from Matt. 19: 16–22, one of the essentials in order to entering into life eternal is the keeping of the commandments. And before we condemn the young man there mentioned, for his worldly-mindedness, let us be sure that we are trying to keep all the commandments, the fourth included. Let us heed what Paul says in Phil. 2: 12, and work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Although we are not saved by our good works yet we cannot be saved without them.