Faith, Grace, and Religious Works
A clear gospel preserves the difference between the one condition God gives for receiving eternal life and the good works and religious practices that belong to discipleship. This lesson places works, baptism, behavioral reform, prayer, and church practices in their proper biblical place.
- See salvation according to mercy and grace.
- Distinguish baptism from the gospel.
- See the order of belief, receiving the Holy Ghost, and baptism in Acts 10.
- Understand behavioral reform as a work of obedience.
- Keep prayer and other good responses in their proper place.
God saves according to His mercy
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Titus 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Titus explicitly excludes works of righteousness as the basis of salvation. God saves according to His mercy and grace through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Galatians places justification by faith in direct contrast with works of the law. A person is justified through faith in Jesus Christ.
Water baptism follows salvation
1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
Paul distinguishes preaching the gospel from baptizing. Baptism is a command for believers and an important public act of obedience. The gospel condition for receiving eternal life is faith in Christ.
Acts 10 gives the order clearly
Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Acts 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 10:46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
Acts 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
The sequence is important. Peter preached that whosoever believeth receives remission of sins. The Holy Ghost fell on the hearers while he was speaking. Afterward Peter commanded water baptism. The passage places baptism after belief and the reception of the Holy Ghost.
Turning from sinful behavior is a work
Jonah 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Jonah explicitly calls turning from an evil way works. Turning from sinful behavior is good and should be preached as obedience to God, but if we make “turn from all your sins” an additional condition for receiving eternal life, we have added works to the gospel.
Grace rests on God's gift rather than human merit
Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Grace and works operate on different principles. Salvation by grace rests on God's gift in Christ rather than human merit.
Prayer follows faith
Prayer belongs in the Christian life. A person who believes may naturally thank God, call upon Him, confess needs, or express faith in words. The direct promises of eternal life attach salvation to believing on Christ.
A spoken prayer can express what a person already believes. Saving faith rests on Jesus Christ Himself.
Keep church practices in their biblical place
Church membership is important for Christian obedience and fellowship. Public decisions can be useful. Religious ceremonies may carry important meaning. Christ alone paid for sin and rose from the dead. These practices belong to discipleship rather than the condition for receiving eternal life.
Compare Scripture with Scripture
Scripture trail: Titus 3:5 • Titus 3:6 • Titus 3:7 • Galatians 2:16 • 1 Corinthians 1:17 • Acts 10:43 • Acts 10:44 • Acts 10:45 • John 3:16
Do not rush past the references. Open them, read the surrounding verses, and make the Bible carry the weight of the conclusion.
Think it through
- Which words in these passages state what God has done, and which words state what the sinner must believe?
- Where does the text place works, religious rituals, or human merit in relation to receiving eternal life?
- Could you use these passages to explain the gospel clearly without adding another saving condition?
Teach it back
Without looking at the lesson explanation, summarize Faith, Grace, and Religious Works in two or three sentences and support your explanation from Scripture. If you cannot explain it simply yet, return to the passages and work through them again.
Slow down and work the text
Reopen Titus 3:5, Titus 3:6, Titus 3:7, Galatians 2:16. Read enough before and after each verse to see the setting. Do not settle for remembering a slogan when you can inspect the wording for yourself.
- Write the main claim of Faith, Grace, and Religious Works in one sentence.
- Underline or write down the exact words in the passages that support that claim.
- Compare at least two of the passages. What truth becomes clearer when they are read together?
- Ask what could be misunderstood if one phrase were isolated from its context.
- State clearly what a sinner must believe to be saved, and keep works or religious rituals out of the saving condition.
Eternal life is received by faith in Jesus Christ. Works, baptism, church membership, behavioral reform, religious ceremonies, and prayer belong in their proper biblical places without becoming additional saving conditions.
- What does Titus 3:5 exclude as the basis of salvation?
- How does 1 Corinthians 1:17 distinguish baptism from the gospel?
- In Acts 10, what happened before the Gentiles were baptized in water?
- What does Jonah 3:10 call turning from an evil way?
- Why is it dangerous to tell a person that repeating a prayer is what completes salvation?
Eternal Life Means Eternal
22 min