The Faith That Works by Love
By A. C. Anderson
Works Cannot Save Us — But if We Are Saved, Our Works Will Show It WITHOUT faith it is impossible to please God; “for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Heb. 11:6. One writer has said that faith must have no companion, which is obedience. Faith never walks alone. Faith may see God, but obedience must serve Him. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Rom. 10:17. We must hear, and then do what God says. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”—No, indeed; “for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:14, 26. Yet we are told that works avail nothing in Christ Jesus; only “faith that works by love.” Therefore “being justified freely by His grace” (Rom. 3:24), salvation becomes the free gift of God, “not of works, lest any man should boast.” Eph. 2:9. “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly; his faith is counted for righteousness.” “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Rom. 4:4, 5, 3. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Rom. 3:20. “By grace are ye saved through faith.” Eph. 2:8. Grace is unmerited favor. “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.” “My tongue shall speak of Thy word: for all Thy commandments are righteousness.” Ps. 119:160, 172. When compared with, or tried by, the law of God, all men are shown to be sinners, shut up under righteous condemnation, without the possibility of ever being saved on the ground of their own works, or righteousness. Our works will avail nothing. “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Isa. 64:6. Yet “sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Rom. 6:14. “Sin is the transgression of the law.” John 3:4. There are some men, however, who think that grace grants license to sin. But the question is asked by Paul: “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Rom. 6:15. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23. Yet all can be freely justified by the grace of Christ, “whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Verses 25-28. Were this not true, the thief on the cross would not have been saved; he must have lived to produce works. All have sinned, and therefore sin ought to be imputed to all men; but God be blessed, for He “imputeth righteousness without works” (Rom. 4:6), not only to the repentant thief, but to all who will receive Christ as a propitiatory sacrifice. “Under the law,” men sought to keep the law in order to be saved. “Under grace,” men keep the law because they are saved. They are not saved because they obey, but they obey because they are saved. This is true faith; and to all such, the blood of Christ has become a cleansing stream. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” 1 John 3:3. “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:26. The so-called faith in Christ which professes to release men from obedience to God’s law, is not faith, but presumption. Jesus says: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. . . . Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” John 15:1, 4. The branch that bears no fruit, is taken away, and cast into the fire. “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you” (verse 7), is the one explanation of answered prayer; and apart from this, it is folly to ask for anything in His name. “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” Prov. 28:9. To obey is to abide. “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” John 15:10. This is the only process that knits the branch to the vine. Thus the life becomes one, and the desires one. Disobedience severs the life-giving connection with Christ. His will ceases to be our will, and we become barren and unfruitful branches. Jesus declared, “I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” 1 John 2:6. DISOBEDIENCE IS OFFENSIVE
No precept of God’s law may be set aside on the ground that we may consider it of comparative unimportance; for the least disobedience to any command of God is highly offensive to Him, while obedience in all things is His delight. Jesus said of Himself before He came to earth: “I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Ps. 40:8. And again: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:17, 19. This was the true test of His Messiahship. “Look upon Jesus. Sinless is He.
Father, impute His life unto me.
My life of scarlet, my sin and woe,
Cover with His life, whiter than snow. “Deep are the wounds transgression has made.
Red are the stains. My soul is afraid.
Oh, to be covered, Jesus, with Thee,
Safe from the law that now judgeth me! “Reconciled by His death for my sin,
Justified by His life pure and clean,
Sanctified by obeying His word,
Glorified when returneth my Lord!”