Eternal Approach

I mean, when it comes to salvation, is your faith rooted solidly in the Bible alone? Or does your salvation include keeping or following “traditions” that your church teaches?

For example, can you say that your faith rests solely on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross? Or do you trust some additional source of good works?

Do those works include your own and / or some “Treasury” of good works, prayers, donations, etc. that your church distributes to people who are faithful to your church? For the forgiveness of sins or for some time off of suffering in “Purgatory” after death?

In other words, how much confidence are you truly placing on Jesus Christ alone?

Now, some like to say that they are trusting Christ “alone” because they are believing in the sacraments or other traditions that the death and suffering of Christ has “made available” to those who will believe. Sometimes they even call those sacraments or traditions “graces”. As if, people who receive those sacraments or keep those traditions are “receiving grace”. 

This is totally unbiblical. There is Nothing in the Bible about this. 

Traditions or the Word of God?

Nevertheless, churches have elevated their traditions on an “equal” footing with the Bible. As in, their traditions “inform” their interpretation of the Bible. (Which is the same as groups like BioLogos who say that popular scientific consensus should inform our interpretation of the Bible. Or that the modern culture should inform our interpretation of the Bible.)

This happens all over the place.

Nevertheless, the Bible is not less than or equal to anything. Including, by the way, any special group or class of men or women who are said to have God’s special dispensation to tell the rest of us what the Bible means. You can see this in many different ways. With special councils, or synods, or denominational authorities. You name it; someone has a special group that is supposed to tell us what the Bible says. 

There is No group and No man who has that kind of authority!

But I digress. Back to “grace” and “works”. 

Grace is grace and works are works. And never the twain shall meet. 

Grace is the total and absolute gift of God. It is not earned. It is not merited. It is totally free. 

And the reason that it is free is because the Lord Jesus Christ paid for it by His own blood. By His own precious blood. 

“Cheap Grace”? 

Now some like to speak of how those of us who believe that “faith alone” saves us are trusting in “cheap grace”. That we are cheapening the grace of God by not stressing the need for good works. 

But again, that is totally wrong.

A man cannot receive the salvation Christ offers unless he sees himself as having nothing at all that is good to bring to the table. Nothing. 

All through the New Testament this message is driven home. That we have nothing good in ourselves. Even as believers, we have only the Lord who dwells within us by His Spirit. He is ALL that is good within us.   

Rest in Him

So, at the end of the day, the wonderful message for you and me is that we can rest from our own works and trust solely in the completed and finished work of Christ. 

We do not have to be afraid. Nor do weo have to be ashamed. Simply bring everything to Christ and leave it at His Cross. 

He did not come to bring us fear but love and power and a sound mind. 

Which can only be found in Him alone, by faith alone, by His grace alone, according to His word alone. 

And if your church or your pastor or your priest or rabbi or “prophet” “Pope” or “apostle” or some other kind of church leader doesn’t agree or tries to water this message down, get outa there!

“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:11)

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay