Will Good Works Save A Person? No. 2

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WILL GOOD WORKS SAVE A PERSON? NO. 2

By George W. Sinquefield

The Holy Bible, King James Version

Ephesians 2:8 through Ephesians 2:10
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Will a person whose life was filled with good works but who never repented of sin and accepted Jesus as Savior go to Heaven when he (or she) dies? Many believe that they will. The devil blinds people to the truth and deceives them into thinking that there are other ways to be saved other than trusting Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:3 through 2 Corinthians 4:4
3But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

In Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 are these words:

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

Good works seem to be the way to be saved but they only seem to be. No one can be saved by good works.

I. Good works cannot change man's sinful nature, nor can good works give man a new nature.

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again" or as it reads in the Greek, "Ye must be born from above" or "born of the Spirit" (John 3:3, 8). The necessity for the new birth can be clearly seen when we consider the character of the old nature. And this old nature is the only nature a lost person possesses.

In no uncertain terms God says, "Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do (John 8:44). In Ephesians 2:3 the Holy Spirit designates them as "the children of wrath."

Ephesians 2:1
1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Romans 5:12
12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Now for a soul to be saved either one of two things must happen -- the old nature must be changed or a new nature must be given. Good works cannot accomplish either of these. Good works cannot change our sinful nature. Notice what God has to say about this old sinful nature.

1 Corinthians 2:14
14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

When one is "born from above" the Holy Spirit takes up His abode in the body of the believer.

1 Corinthians 6:19 through 1 Corinthians 6:20
19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to teach and guide the Christian into truth.

John 16:12 through John 16:13
12I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.

The old nature is so depraved that it cannot and does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. Again the Scripture says of this old nature.

Romans 8:7
7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

This old nature is hopelessly wicked and there is no possibility of it being changed. Man is a fool if he thinks he can change his old nature by good works. He may train himself to do many good works and become a model of morality and integrity but without faith in Jesus Christ he is still at enmity with God. Training himself at good works can never bring the old nature into subjection to the will of God. Trying to change the old nature by acting like a child of God will never make him God's child. There is a vast difference between acting like a Christian and being in reality a child of God. It is like trying to make a man out of a monkey by training him to do things that a man does. Regardless of the extent of his training he is still a monkey. The training has not changed his nature. So man, religious and moral as he may be, is still at enmity with God. He has not changed his old sinful nature by his good works.

Man cannot get a new nature by good works. Any attempt to do so is hopeless. It does not come that way. The Scripture tells us how this new nature (spiritual life) is imparted to man who is dead in sin. It is the implanting in the believer the very nature of God.

2 Peter 1:4
4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

God, in dealing with the repentant sinner, ignores the old corrupt nature and creates a new man instead which is His divine nature, the nature of deity, sinless, perfect, deathless.

2 Corinthians 5:17
17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

This creation of a new man is not the fixing up of the old nature. It is a brand new thing. This is the new birth by which the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within. We become partakers of the divine nature by means of the promises of God.

Galatians 3:26
26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Many are the precious promises God has given man.

John 3:16
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:36
36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 5:24
24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

So the Scripture bears witness that salvation cannot be obtained by good works but must be obtained by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The old nature is still with us. A battle goes on between the new and the old nature.

Romans 7:18 through Romans 7:25
18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

In these verses Paul gives us his experience and all saved people experience the same. We're taught to walk in the Spirit and we'll not fulfill the lust of the flesh, Galatians 5:16.

II. Good works cannot give life to a corpse.

A lost person is a spiritual corpse. He is alienated from the life of God.

Romans 6:23
23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This death is in the progressive sense. One without Christ is dead; is dying by degrees and if he continues to reject Jesus, he'll die eternally when he leaves this world. The ministry of Jesus was to give life to the spiritually dead.

John 6:33
33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

John 10:10
10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

1 John 5:12
12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

John 5:40
40And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Jesus "quickens" and that means to make alive spiritually.

Ephesians 2:1
1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Ephesians 2:5
5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Colossians 2:13
13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

They say that in Poland there is a strange custom. when a man dies his friends gather at his house for a feast. The corpse is dressed in finest and seated in a chair to watch the proceedings. Liquor flows freely people engage in dancing and every form of hilarity. The idea seems to be to give the corpse the utmost enjoyment at this the last party it will attend. Suppose one of the guests should seize the corpse and lead it dancing over the floor. Would this give life to the corpse? Suppose someone whispered in his ear, exhorting him to act like a man and inter into the fun -- would such advice give life?

We might as well believe such a thing as to believe that a lost person -- a spiritual corpse can get life, eternal life -- by good works.

III. Works without faith cannot pleas God.

"Without faith it is impossible to please God." By faith we mean believing, trusting, and committing one's life to God.

When a lost person hears the gospel:

1.    Of God's Love
John 3:16
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
2.    Of Jesus and His death on the cross
Romans 5:10
10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Ephesians 1:7
7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
1 Peter 1:18 through 1 Peter 1:19
18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
3.    That salvation is free to those who'll accept it by faith in Jesus.
Romans 6:23
23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Revelation 22:17
17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

And he refuses to accept Jesus as Savior, he is then classified as God's enemy.

Romans 8:7
7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

If a person is your enemy, you will not value a present he sends you. If he has no confidence in you, counts you a liar -- then his praises, his compliments are empty, deceptive things which cannot please you.

A person spends his whole life doing good works thinking this will save him when all the time he is an enemy of God. He has refused to accept by faith God's gift of His Son and God does not smile upon his life. His good works are abominable in God's sight.

Matthew 7:22 through Matthew 7:23
22Many 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? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Good works, works done in His name are works of iniquity when one refuses to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Romans 5:10
10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

This reconciliation changes one from being an enemy to being a friend of God. He becomes God's child and now God smiles upon his life and his works.

Now until one puts his faith in Jesus; accepts Him as Savior, his works are as filthy rags in God's sight. He does not and will not accept them as long as one rejects His Son, the Lord Jesus.

We shall be rewarded for our works but not saved by them. Trust Jesus for salvation and not your good works.