When it comes to good works, countless Christians have this bizarre notion that they don’t matter. I guess they’ve heard “you’re saved by grace not by works” so often that they’ve concluded their works don’t matter. As a result, they tend to think of heaven as a great equaling ground. I don’t think Scripture teaches this.
The Bible repeatedly speaks of reward for works. In 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 Paul says, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”
Paul seems to think our works will be rewarded. Luther did too and Chemnitz even said in his Examen, “…the good works in the reconciled, since they are acceptable through faith for the sake of the Mediator, have spiritual and bodily rewards in this life and after this life; they have these rewards through the gratuitous divine promise; not that God owes this because of the perfection and worthiness of our works, but because He, out of fatherly mercy and liberality, for the sake of Christ, has promised that He would honor with rewards the obedience of His children in this life, even though it is only begun and is weak, imperfect, and unclean.” (Examination of the Council of Trent I, 653)
And the Lutheran Confessions even say this about good works and rewards, “It is God’s will and express command that believers should do good works which the Holy Spirit works in them, and God is willing to be pleased with them for Christ’s sake and He promises to reward them gloriously in this and in the future life. (Formula of
Yet, when I’ve brought this up, people get nervous about “works righteousness.”
C.F.W. Walther, first president of the LCMS, spoke about this, “Sometimes people get very uncomfortable when you talk about degrees of reward and punishment because it seems like it conflicts with our understanding of the doctrine of justification (salvation by grace through faith in Christ). The key to understanding different rewards or different degrees of reward in heaven is to think of them as gifts. If rewards are understood as pure gifts of grace, in no way earned, merited or deserved, then there is no conflict, contradiction or problem reconciling them with salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.”
So, why aren’t we preaching more on rewards for works? Oh, and why desire rewards (for those of you who are so pious that you are unmoved by God’s promise of rewards)? The rewards will be used to bring glory to Christ. And what Christian doesn’t want to glorify Jesus?
So again, why aren’t we preaching on rewards for works?
4 comments:
I can't speak for everyone, but I think when we hear rewards for works, we hear quid pro quo, the conditional soft law that God will fix whatever our problems are if we pray/give enough. This outside of justification sounds like something my Nazarene friends would say. :)
I began my 'good-works' quest in January 1987 and I am only finishing my project now.
Imagine over 21 years of endless unpaid study but I am not complaining.
Why did I continue so long?
Because I was encouraged by three rather supernatural happenings, the second of which was an invisible anointing in 1992, which felt like warm oil be poured over my left hand whilst I was doing my research.
Hence I have continued on.
I would certainly like something supernatural to mark the end of my journey but then we are not to ask for signs and wonders.
“Sometimes people get very uncomfortable when you talk about degrees of reward and punishment because it seems like it conflicts with our understanding of the doctrine of justification (salvation by grace through faith in Christ). The key to understanding different rewards or different degrees of reward in heaven is to think of them as gifts."
But then, isn't justification itself equally gift?? Walther here doesn't make it sound that way. One is left to wonder whether he means God is obligated to justify, on account of Christ's merits, whereas He is not obligated to reward good works.
?
Anastasia Theodoridis,
Great question. What is God obligated to do? God certainly isn’t obligated to save us. Neither is He obligated to reward us. Because, however, He is gracious, He freely chooses to do both.
Having said that, He has promised to save us on account of Christ’s merits and He has promised to reward our good works. So, in a sense, God has obligated Himself to do exactly what He has promised to do. If I remember correctly, Luther encouraged people to remind God of His promises when they prayed to Him – kind of a “You promised to do this and are therefore obligated to do it.”
In regards to Walther, I don’t have a quote handy, but Walther would most certainly agree that justification is pure gift (a quick review of his Law and Gospel would probably provide a helpful quote in this regard).
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