Every time I try to understand something important it gets more complicated. Take salvation for example. I always taught that confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and repenting from sin leads to redemption, peace with G-d and ultimately Heaven. I’ve preached and led folks to Christ using the same wording. But is that all that is necessary to be saved?
Paul makes clear in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by G-d’s grace (unmerited favor) through faith (trust in G-d) and not anything we have done (works). In Romans 10:9 the apostle states if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that G-d raised Jesus from the dead we will be saved. Easy peasy right?! As far as physical activity goes this is where the traditional Christian calls it quits except for attending the Sunday morning church service.
Not so fast.
Christ and his half-brother James complicate matters. Starting with the leader of the Jerusalem Council James explains that a faith that does not produce works cannot save (James 2:14-19). Jesus already tied entering Heaven to works in Matthew 25:31-46 when he separates the sheep from the goats based on their works on Earth. Worse both Christ and James use caring for the less fortunate as the example of works. Why is salvation that is solely based on G-d’s grace so connected to works? The answer is found in faith.
Like a car requires energy (gas) to fulfill its primary function, to run, a car is worthless as a car without fuel but remains a car. Faith that does not produce works is worthless. It still may be faith, but it cannot fulfill its ultimate function – why we are saved. The works themselves do not save but our faith must be so life-changing that we become workers for Christ.
The question becomes why would we NOT want to care for the least of these in Jesus’ name?
To ensure that works are tied to salvation we return to Ephesians 2 after Paul explains salvation by grace through faith, he states in verse 10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Christian if your faith is not sincere enough to produce works like caring for the less fortunate you are not saved.