I consider it important to address the subject of works due to the misunderstanding which is prevalent in the church system. To say that works are an essential part of salvation is viewed as heresy by most professing Christian's. This is due to the false gospel which is preached in far and wide throughout the world today.

The Gospel, as commonly taught today, has been reduced down to a package or provision consisting of Christ's death on the cross being viewed as a wrath substitute for the sinner. As long as the sinner admits their condition and then trusts in the provision they are then pronounced saved and eternally secure. Sanctification then becomes a long drawn out process of sinning less and less and as long as one is generally walking in the right direction then there is no real concern. This false gospel has removed any fear of God and judgment, made holiness optional, removed the strait gate and narrow way, and it the very reason why there is so much hypocrisy among professing Christian's today.

In the church system there is no real distinction made between the works of the flesh or law and the works of faith. In fact, works altogether have been eliminated from salvation and have been made subsequent and optional.

By removing the working dynamic from the Gospel the saving power of the Gospel has been totally neutralised. The result is that millions of people have been deceived by Satan into thinking they can be saved via a simple mental acknowledgment of some facts apart from them having to do anything. It is really Satan's masterpiece and it is very difficult for people under this deception to come out from it.
Jesus warned that if the light in us actually be darkness then that darkness is great indeed.
Mat 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Jesus warned that few would find the strait gate and narrow way and that many false teachers would come and would deceive a vast multitude.

Mat 7:14Because straitisthe gate, and narrowisthe way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

When one is deceived they simply do not know it. Is it possible that you are deceived? Think carefully about it.


Hebrews 11 clearly teaches that faith is substantial and is thus effectual in application. Faith is akin to obedience or authentic belief.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.


Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Heb 11:8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.


Faith is a working principle.

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 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.

The verses above clearly refute the “faith alone” or “sola fide” which is so commonly bandied about today.

It is the works of the flesh which don't avail anyone. Any work done apart from God is vanity and is worthless in regards to salvation. This is the error that the Pharisees made, they sought to be justified by the law in and of itself and totally neglected the spiritual aspect. The law was simply an outward manifestation of love. Hence...

Gal 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

If one is walking after the Spirit they establish the law in the heart and thus fulfill it by faith.

Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Thus a believer is to walk by faith in everything they do. Not holding to a list of do's and don'ts but rather to working faith based on love.

Rom 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

This is an extremely important concept to understand because it relates to a correct understanding of things like salvation, justification and sanctification.

When we abide in Christ we are no longer doing our own works apart from God. We are yielding to God and doing His works, through us, by faith.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Thus when Paul wrote Ephesians 2:8-10 the works he is referring to are works of the flesh or works of the law which we are not saved by. He is most definitely not negating obedient faith. We are saved by the effectual working of God on our heart which we voluntarily put to use by a working faith. If we are disobedient then we simply receive the grace of God to no effect.

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

2Co 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
The boast Paul is speaking about in Ephesians 2:9 was in the keeping of the law.
Rom 2:17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
Rom 2:18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;
Rom 2:19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
Rom 2:20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
Rom 2:21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
Rom 2:22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Rom 2:23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

Seeking to establish righteousness by keeping the law was the error that Paul warned the Galatians about.
Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
Gal 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Those who throw out the works of faith thus denying that any works are necessary in regards to salvation are terribly deceived because they are essentially saying that you can be a hearer only and not a doer. Doing thus becomes subsequent or optional.
Satan knows that the only way to God is through a genuine repentance and faith and thus he has perverted repentance and faith, repentance has been redefined to simply mean “confess and admit you are a sinner,” and faith has been redefined to simply mean “trust.”

Satan, through the false teachers, has turned the grace of God into a license to keep on sinning.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now the reason that works done apart from God are vain (works of the flesh/law) is that they only serve to clean the outside of the cup. God wants the inside of the cup cleansed and that only happens through working together with God.
Mat 23:26Thoublind Pharisee, cleanse first thatwhich iswithin the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

When the inside of the cup is cleansed then the natural result will be a clean outside. Thus a good tree will bare only good fruit because the root is pure.
We are cleansed through the instructions that God has given us when we put them to use through an obedient faith.
Joh 15:3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

The engrafted word which is able to save our souls is the seed of Jesus Christ within. Jesus Christ is that vine of which we are to abide in, and it is only then that we are able to bear fruit.

Joh 15:4Abide 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.
Joh 15:5I am the vine, yearethe branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Jesus preached a Gospel of works but those works were to be done together with God by faith.
To deny that works are essential to salvation is to deny the Bible and thus deny the words Jesus Christ Himself. Don't be deceived!
If there was absolutely nothing we had to do then why would Jesus say the following?

Luk 13:24Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Mat 7:21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If anymanwill come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Joh 15:10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

If there was nothing we had to do why is it written...

Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Rom 2:6Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Rom 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Rom 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

A Gospel that removes the obedience of faith, the works of faith, and the steps of faith from salvation is no different than preaching Satan's first lie of “Ye shall not surely die.”

Heb 11:8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

Joh 8:39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

Rom 4:12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

Do not be deceived!

Gal 6:7Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Gal 6:8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.


Are you sowing to the flesh or to the Spirit? Or perhaps you are deceived and think you can serve both?