Tuesday; September 24
I have been doing some studying about
the perceived conflict between “works” and “faith” in the New Testament. If you haven’t spent much time delving into
this discussion, the issue boils down to what saves us – faith or works. Can we do enough good things to overcome the
sin in our lives? Is having faith in
Jesus Christ enough to save us? The
problem with these questions (and the whole “faith vs. works” debate) is that
it assumes that it is one or the other when, in fact, the answer isn’t “faith
or works”, the truth of salvation is found in relying on “faith AND
works”. We cannot read the book of James
without seeing the need for a life filled with faith and works, but his
discussion isn’t the only insight we have into the issue. You see, after Paul squelched self-righteous
salvation by writing, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves, it is the gift of God;not as a result of
works, so that no one may boast.” he went on to explain, “For we
ar…