Tuesday March 31st. – Lent 2009

An article by Drew    1 Comment

I’m not a theologian. I have no wish to be a theologian. It seems to me that theology has the same relationship to God that studying cook books has to eating. And if you could see me you’d know I prefer eating. So it is with considerable bravado and ignorance that I enter the hoary old debate on faith versus works.

In my last blog entry I suggested that all Christians, even saints, fall short of the example of Jesus. We are not expected to succeed in our attempt to be Christian, in fact we are expected to fail – frequently, joyfully, generously, lovingly. We are also expected, I believe, to try as hard as we possibly can.

This does not mean that we are saved by what we do or at least try to do. I believe we are saved by the unmerited forgiveness and love of our Lord Jesus but this doesn’t mean we can sit back and relax – we still have to work at our faith.

If life was an exam Jesus has offered his students an automatic 50%. Just by joining Jesus’ class we get a pass mark – we don’t have to live in fear of failing – but by trying our best we can add a good deal to that 50% even if we can never reach 100. Ultimately all those who join the class graduate – whenever and however they join – even if it’s on the last day of term – but like any subject or sport you get more out of it if you put more in.

Working at your faith doesn’t earn you a higher degree of salvation but it does mean you’ll enjoy a closer, more joyous, more costly, more vivacious relationship with your Lord. Also if you’re building a loving relationship with Jesus you naturally want to do things for him. Compassion is a natural by-product of that relationship. Good works become, not a requirement, but a pleasure.

I thoroughly enjoy serving those I love – cooking my kids bacon and egg breakfasts, buying my wife a chocolate rose, doing favours for my friends. How much more fulfillment I feel knowing my work at TEAR Fund brings pleasure to my creator.

James puts it so well I’ll let him have the last word.

“Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything. Doesn’t merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say ”Good morning friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup – where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is an outrageous nonsense?

I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department. I’ll handle the works department.”

Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from you faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together like a hand in glove. – James 2: 14-26 (The Message)