Union church of Christ

Let us reason together is a weekly newspaper article that Bro. Rick Benson writes each week to answer Biblical questions, with Biblical answers.

"Does Ephesians 2:8,9 and James 2:24, contradict one another?"

     In Ephesians 2:8,9, Paul the Apostle writes that we are not saved by works. Yet James writes (2:24) that works do justify us. How can this make any sense?

The New Testament teaches us that there are four different kinds of works. Three are of no value in regards to our salvation.

     The first type is works of the flesh, which includes all unrighteous acts and ungodliness. These acts include adultery, murder, drunkenness and idolatry. They are all condemned in Galatians 5:19-21.

     Our own works is the type that Paul describes in Ephesians 2:8,9. These works are practiced by men trying to save themselves without submitting to the will of God (Romans 10:1,2). They are works in which man is the inventor. They include all service and worship to false gods and all other religious work and worship not authorized by the New Testament (Mark 7:7; John 4:24; 2 John 9).

     The third type of works that cannot save us is the works of the Law of Moses (Romans 3:28). The Law of Moses was fulfilled by Christ and nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14-16; Hebrews 10:9,10). The law does not save us (Galatians 2:16). Anyone who believes salvation comes through the law has fallen from grace (Galatians 5:4).

     The fourth type of works is the only one that justifies us before God. This is the works of obedience to the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:5). Saving faith works through love (Galatians 5:6). If we love God we will obey His commands (1 John 5:3).

     The Apostle Paul condemned all the works that man originates (Ephesians 2:8,9). But James wrote about works of obedience that were in accordance to God’s will (Matthew 7:21). Yet, there is no work that man can perform, even including work of faith and obedience that will enable him to earn his salvation. Salvation is a gift of God (Romans 6:23). But we are required to comply with certain conditions in accepting the gift of salvation (Hebrews 5:9). Faith apart from obedience is worthless (James 2:26). To understand how you can be saved read (Mark 16:16; John 3:5; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Revelation 2:10).

Did Jesus promise to give us literally anything we ask in faith?"

     Jesus said in Mark 11:24, "Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Is this literally true?

     If we study this verse in context we need to look at the preceding verse where Jesus said, "Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt…he will have whatever he says." This promise is not to be taken as a blanket authority to perform miracles by His followers. It is a valid promise that the most overwhelming difficulties, we may face, could be removed through faithful prayers. The literal words of these verses are another example of hyperbole, or exaggeration that Jesus often used to emphasize his words. Another example is that of the camel and the needle's eye (Mark 10:25).

     God will not literally give us anything we ask for. There are certain limitations on what God will give. God cannot answer a request to approve of our sin.

     The context of this promise indicates it was conditional, in the next verse Jesus says, "If you have anything against anyone, forgive him…" (Mark 11:25). There is no reason to believe that Jesus intended us to take His promise to give us "whatever things" we ask without any conditions.

     God doesn’t heal everyone who prays faithfully. Paul wasn’t healed, though he prayed earnestly and faithfully (2 Corinthians 12:8,9). Paul had the ability to heal others (Acts 28:9), yet could not heal Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25) or Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20). If faith of the recipient were the only condition for receiving a miracle, Jesus could not have raised the dead because the dead cannot believe!

     There are conditions placed on God’s promise to answer prayer besides faith. We must "abide in Him" and let His Word "abide in is" (John 15:7). We cannot "ask amiss" from selfishness (James 4:3). We must ask "according to His will" (1 John 5:14). Prayer is not a means for God to serve us; it is a means by which we serve God. Prayer is not a means by which we get our will done in heaven, but a means by which God gets His will done on earth.

"Why are there three different answers to the same question?"

     The question, "What must I do to be saved," is asked in one form or another three times in the book of Acts (2:37,38; 16:31; 22:16) and three times a different answer was given. Do these answers contradict one another?

     Finding salvation is like traveling on a road. If a person was traveling to Jackson, the mileage from Union to Jackson is different than the distance from Forest to Jackson. Likewise, people may be at different locations as they travel the "road to salvation." The starting point and ending point is the same, but the distance in between the beginning and the end changes during the trip.

     Three different answers were given to the same question and all three answers were correct. The reason is because the three people asking the same question were at different points in their understanding along their journey to salvation.

     The Jews at Pentecost (Acts 2:37,38) had just heard Peter preach the gospel. Peter knew they already believed, because belief comes from hearing (Romans 10:17). The Jews passed from the point of belief ("pierced in the heart") and were told to repent and be baptized in order to obtain salvation (Mark 16:16).

     The Philippian jailor was commanded to believe in Christ, because he had not yet heard and believed the Gospel of Christ (Acts 16:31,32). There was no point for Paul and Silas to tell the jailor to repent and be baptized before he heard the Gospel. The other steps towards salvation are useless until a person believes the Gospel.

     Why did Ananias not tell Saul to believe and repent when he told him how to have his sins washed away? Saul already believed in Christ and was penitent. Saul did have to be told to believe or repent, since he had already done so. At this point the only thing Saul lacked was to be baptized for the forgiveness of his sins (Acts 22:16).

     These sinners were given three different answers to the same question because they were at different points on the "road to salvation." The unbeliever was told to "believe," the believers were told to "repent," and the penitent believer was told to be baptized. The three answers may be different, but they do not contradict each other. For a person to be saved they must do all three (John 8:24; Luke 13:3,5; Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16).