"Frustrating Grace - Part 2"

"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." Romans 6:15

Yesterday we said that good works and deeds don't save us and they don't keep us saved. We are saved by God's wonderful grace and it's His grace that keeps us afterwards also. When we try to work hard enough to "stay" right with God, then we are "frustrating" (taking lightly and making of none effect) the grace of God.

Now, having said that, on the other hand we don't want to frustrate the grace of God by taking our responsibility to "work out our salvation" lightly either. Just because we are kept by grace doesn't mean that we can neglect and take for granted our salvation. It doesn't mean that we can live "loose" "careless" lives and do whatever we want to do. It doesn't mean that we have nothing to do to help maintain our relationship with the Lord.

In any relationship there are responsibilities on each party. There are things we have to do... and good works are some of them. Like I said yesterday, the good works of Bible study, prayer, church attendance, etc., all help to strengthen our relationship with the Lord because they help us to get to know Him better. Our good works also testify to others of the goodness of God. And they are also an evidence to the faith that we profess to have. "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." (James 2:17,18)

The bottom line is this: grace, not good works, saved us and keeps us saved; but good works can't be neglected because they are the "fruit" that grace produces in our lives.

Have a great day. Grace gives us what we can never work hard enough on our own to receive. But after we have received the gift of grace our works are the evidence of that grace.

For further reading:
Philippians 2:12
Hebrews 2:3
Ephesians 2:8,9