What will you be
doing in the NEXT LIFE?
By Herbert W.
Armstrong
Are YOU one who won't be there -- because you're deceived into a false
salvation? Nothing is more misunderstood than the difference between
"GRACE" and "WORKS." Here is one of the most important
booklets ever published.
THIS OUGHT to disturb you -- a pointed question put to me by a man in
That is, unless you are one of the very few who really does understand this
difference. Don't be too sure you know! Even most of the clergy do not!
The BIG Question
This man in
He wrote:
"As a lifelong 'unquestioning' believer in evolution, the most immediate
impact of your magazine has been to shatter my complacency on the subject.
However, this presents me with a problem, insofar as, IF I accept that God
created mankind, and that there is, therefore, an afterlife, I simply cannot
imagine what one 'does' for an eternity. This is proving to be something of a
'stumbling block' for me." He asked for help.
You need to understand. Almost NO ONE DOES!
A woman explained recently what she expects to be doing through eternity.
"I expect to just be sitting at Jesus' feet, looking up into His
face," she exclaimed. And this idea was so deeply implanted in her mind,
nothing could shake her out of it!
It is perhaps ten times harder to UNLEARN error than to learn new truth. And
nearly everyone who believes in God at all -- or makes any profession of
Christianity has had one idea so deeply implanted in mind that it is simply
taken for granted -- and almost impossible to root out!
It is this -- stated in my own terms (which may not be the way others would
state it):
When you were born, you were started on a one-way railroad trip -- your life's
journey. Because of Adam's sin (or because you are a sinner) a switch in the
railroad track at the end of your journey is turned automatically to shoot you
down to hell. But IF, at some time during your life's journey you "profess
Christ" then that automatically throws the switch at the end of your
life's journey so that when you die you will be shot immediately up to heaven.
And what will you be DOING through all eternity? Just sitting at Jesus' feet,
happily looking up into His face -- or, as some may have it, playing on a harp.
In any case the concept is that you'll have NOTHING TO DO, but just
"enjoy" idleness and ease forever and ever! This false concept
totally blinds its followers' eyes to the meaning and purpose of the Christian
life after initial conversion after becoming a Christian.
There may be variations in the way differing sects or denominations, or
different people conceive of it -- but that's approximately the generally
accepted idea -- taken for granted -- and so deeply rooted it's almost
impossible to get the TRUTH, as GOD reveals it in HIS WORD, into such minds.
Now I wouldn't enjoy lounging around in idleness with nothing to do for even
three days -- let alone for eternity!
But THAT explains, I think, WHY some ministers falsely accuse me of
"proclaiming a salvation by WORKS." Since we are to be SAVED, as your
Bible states repeatedly, by GRACE, therefore these people simply cannot
conceive of any WORKS whatsoever. They don't understand that the Christian life
is one of TRAINING for WHAT WE SHALL BE DOING through eternity IN THE NEXT
LIFE. They miss the WHOLE PURPOSE of salvation!
Does that word "grace" sound a little technical -- a little
theological?
"Grace" is a term used in the Bible. It means undeserved FREE GIFT --
and unmerited PARDON.
Nowhere does the Bible teach earning your salvation by your own
"WORKS." But what most do NOT understand is that the Bible DOES
teach, over and over again, that we shall be REWARDED according to our WORKS!
That has EVERYTHING to do with the question: "WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING IN
THE NEXT LIFE -- FOR ETERNITY?"
It has little or nothing to do with whether you GET THERE -- but everything to
do with what will be your STATUS -- what you will be doing in the next life IF
YOU are SAVED BY GRACE.
Please believe me, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS OF YOUR LIFE!
YOU NEED to understand it. It's very VITAL to YOUR ETERNITY!
There's a Vast Difference!
WHY is it that so very FEW understand the great difference between being
"saved by GRACE," and "rewarded according to WORKS"? To
UNDERSTAND, YOU need to know what "salvation" is, and what
"reward" means.
But first, UNDERSTAND. The word "works" translated from the Greek
ergon means deeds, actions, business -- without regard, except as indicated by
use in the sentence, to whether physical work, action or labor, or spiritual
acts of righteousness. The Bible uses this word primarily in two ways, and
there is a vast difference.
When joined with "law," as, "the works of the law,"
primarily in Romans and Galatians, it refers to the RITUALS of the Law of
Moses. These were physical WORK -- labor! These laborious physical rituals --
"the works of the law" -- were a SUBSTITUTE for Christ and the Holy
Spirit, and were in force only until Christ. They were then ABOLISHED. There
were certain other secular laws, such as statutes and judgments, that were not
abolished. Nor, of course, the great spiritual Law, the Ten Commandments, which
define righteousness, the transgression of which is sin.
But where the word "works" appears alone, unassociated in the context
with the "works of the law," usually refers to acts of RIGHTEOUSNESS
-- that is, GOOD works. In some instances the context uses the word in the
sense of evil works.
In this booklet we are concerned with "works" in the sense of GOOD
works -- righteousness -- not with "works of the law," rituals which
were abolished.
"Salvation" means being saved from the penalty of sin -- which is
DEATH -- for eternity -- eternal punishment (not eternal punishing!). But to be
SAVED means, also, "preservation." In this case, preservation of
LIFE. One verse in the Bible explains BOTH: "For the wages of sin is
DEATH; but the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord"
(Rom.
The "wages" you EARN by the "works of SIN is eternal DEATH. It
is ETERNAL PUNISHMENT -- and since the punishment is DEATH, and not life, it is
eternal DEATH. You now have only a chemical, temporary, physical existence,
sustained by breathing, eating, drinking, and your physical heart continuing to
beat and circulate your blood. Stop breathing, stop your heart beating, you die
-- you cease to live -- almost instantly. Stop eating and drinking, and you'll
die in 45 or 50 days. This physiochemical life is only temporary.
So, to PRESERVE LIFE eternally means the GIFT of ETERNAL LIFE -- spirit life --
self-sustaining, INHERENT life.
Salvation, then, means to PRESERVE YOU FROM eternal death, the
"wages" or consequences of sin, and to GIVE you inherent ETERNAL
LIFE.
So, then, ETERNAL LIFE is something YOU DO NOT NOW HAVE. It is something you
have no power to supply, or give to yourself.
You can't earn it by "WORKS." No human ingenuity or scientific effort
can prolong human life eternally. The only life that is eternal is SPIRIT life.
A physical being cannot turn himself into a spirit being. Spirit life comes as
God's free GIFT. Neither can you yourself erase the PENALTY of sins you have
already committed -- that is, PREVENT eternal DEATH. For "ALL have
sinned" (Rom.
The Bible teaches NOTHING about an "immortal soul." On the contrary,
it teaches, twice, that "the soul that sinneth, it shall DIE" (Ezek.
18:4, 20). Jesus said the "soul" can be DESTROYED in Gehenna fire
(Matt.
What your own "works" have earned for you is the "wages" of
ETERNAL DEATH.
You see, everyone has "WORKS" -- either good, or bad! And your bad
works have earned the wages of eternal DEATH. Good works can earn something,
too -- which I will explain later -- but it is NOT "salvation" or
eternal life!
Jesus Christ only, of all who have been human, has immortality (I Tim.
But, your sins have CUT YOU OFF from God! (Isa. 59:12.) You are so CUT OFF that
you cannot reach Him! There is an impassable BARRIER between you and Him,
brought on by your SINS!
How, then, can you gain ACCESS to Almighty God (the Father), to receive from
Him eternal life and salvation -- AS HIS GIFT? Well, Isaiah says, "Let the
wicked forsake his way" (Isaiah 55:6-8) -- the way of SIN. And, further,
"GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD [of sinners], that He GAVE His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should NOT PERISH, but have everlasting
LIFE" (John
Yes, but How?
The answer is in Romans 5:8-10:
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, awhile we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, then, being NOW justified by His blood
...." GET THIS! "Being NOW justified" -- HOW? -- by
"works"? No, by Christ's DEATH -- by His blood. He shed His blood and
DIED. He paid the death penalty for you, in your stead.
So, IF you repent of sinning -- that is, turn around to go the OTHER WAY --
forsake YOUR way -- the way contrary to God's Law, and turn to GOD'S WAY -- the
way of His Law -- if you have thus REPENTED of sinning, and have accepted Jesus
Christ as your personal Savior accepted His DEATH as PAYMENT IN FULL for YOUR
sins -- accepted Him as personal Savior not only from the PENALTY of past sins,
but as living Savior to save you from SINNING (now and in the future) then you
are NOW forgiven past guilt -- you are now JUSTIFIED of your guilty past.
But "justified" refers to the guilty past, not to the FUTURE!
So, CONTINUE this scripture: "... Much more, then, being now justified by
HIS blood, we SHALL BE saved from wrath through Him." Notice, being
"SAVED" is yet in the future. We are now "justified," by
God's grace -- by Jesus' DEATH -- and SHALL BE (future) "saved."
But, continue, verse 10 of Romans 5: "For if, when we were enemies, we
were RECONCILED to GOD by the death of His Son ...." Here, you see, being
JUSTIFIED by Christ's death is ALSO being RECONCILED to God by His death. In
other words, we have at last, through Christ's death established CONTACT with
God.
Now continue, same sentence: "... much more, being reconciled, we shall be
saved BY HIS LIFE."
Not already "saved." But "shall be saved." And HOW? Saved
by the "blood of Christ"? -- by His DEATH? NO!!! By His LIFE! We are
justified of past guilt, which had cut us off from access to God, by Christ' s
DEATH -- but SHALL BE, in the future, SAVED by His LIFE. He ROSE from the dead.
He is a living Christ!
Not saved by your "works" saved by Christ's LIFE, after having been
forgiven your sins, and reconciled to God by Christ's DEATH.
HOW Eternal Life Comes
So, with the sentence of eternal DEATH paid for US -- our past sins which put a
barrier between us and God, JUSTIFIED -- we are now RECONCILED to God -- given
access. And HE has ETERNAL LIFE inherent -- self-contained life -- to GIVE.
How, then, do we receive it from Him?
Notice a couple of pivotal scriptures: "For as the Father hath life in
Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself" (John
Yes, we are to be saved by the living Christ -- saved BY HIS LIFE! That is,
GIVEN eternal life as a GIFT, through HIS life -- not through His death!
But, specifically, How? Let the Apostle Peter explain: "REPENT, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall RECEIVE the GIFT of the Holy Spirit" (Acts
But how does THIS give us eternal life -- salvation?
"IF the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He
that raised up Christ from the dead shall ALSO [by a resurrection] quicken your
mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:11).
Well is, then, the receiving of the Holy Spirit SALVATION? Is one already
"saved" when he receives this Spirit?
GOD'S WORD SAYS NO! Not FINALLY! You are at that stage merely an heir of God --
not yet an INHERITOR of salvation -- of eternal life. Still human -- mortal --
not yet immortal! It is the presence of eternal life conditionally --
provisionally.
The scripture above quoted spoke of God's Spirit DWELLING in you. IF this
Spirit is dwelling in you until death (the first), or AT THE TIME of the
RESURRECTION -- at Christ's coming -- THEN you shall be either resurrected
IMMORTAL, or, if still alive, CHANGED from mortal to immortal instantaneously
(I Cor. 15:50-52 and I Thes. 4:13-17). Then you shall be immortal -- composed
of SPIRIT -- no longer human and composed of material flesh and blood. Then
you, too, shall have life inherent -- be FINALLY saved.
The receiving of the Holy Spirit, NOW, is the TOKEN PAYMENT -- or the EARNEST
payment from God on the gift of eternal life. Notice: "... Christ ... in
whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of
promise, which is the earnest of our INHERITANCE, until the redemption of the
purchased possession ..." (Eph
Those who have received God's Holy Spirit are NOW not yet inheritors or
possessors of this eternal life -- of this salvation. They are NOW HEIRS of God
-- co-heirs with Christ (Gal.
May We Go on Sinning?
But now what of that scripture that says: "... ye are not under the law,
but under grace"? (Rom.
Now that you are UNDER GRACE -- does this mean you are given license to disobey
God's Law?
Listen to GOD'S answer: "What shall we say then' Shall we continue in sin,
that grace may abound? God FORBID! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any
longer therein?" (
Once again, verse 14: "For sin [transgressing the Law] shall not have
dominion over you: for ye are not under the Law, but under grace." The
very next words show PLAINLY this does not mean you are free to BREAK God's LAW
-- to DISOBEY God, "What then? Shall we SIN [break the Law], because we
are not under the Law, but under grace? GOD FORBID! Know ye not, that to whom
ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
GRACE does not mean license to SIN. And the BIBLE definition of SIN is:
"Sin is the transgression of the LAW" (I John 3:4).
You were UNDER THE LAW, when the Law stood over you, claiming its penalty. When
Christ paid the penalty, and satisfied the claims of the Law, you were no
longer under the Law, but under GRACE.
It is the FALSE prophets of our day who try to deceive you into believing
"GRACE" means permission to BREAK GOD'S LAW! We are being saved FROM
SINNING (now and in the future) as well as from PAST sins. Christ came to save
us FROM sinning -- not to save us IN sin.
WHY the Holy Spirit?
I have been showing you, step by step, the way of "salvation." Where
are you, now? You have been reconciled to God -- your past forgiven -- and you
have received God's Holy Spirit. But why?
God's Spirit, first of all, is His very own LIFE injected into you -- the
begettal of ETERNAL life. You are now an HEIR of God -- a joint-heir -- a
co-heir with CHRIST. Not yet an inheritor. The Holy Spirit injects into you
also the characteristics of God. First of these is LOVE -- not carnal or human
love, but DIVINE love -- God's love.
And why? In order to KEEP GOD'S LAW -- that's why! How is God's Law fulfilled?
"LOVE is the fulfilling of the Law" (Rom.
Also it requires FAITH to keep God's Commandments. And your faith is not strong
enough. It requires CHRIST'S faith -- the same faith He exercised and lived by
during His human lifetime. God also GIVES YOU this very same FAITH, by the Holy
Spirit. God's Spirit also imparts to you spiritual comprehension -- POWER TO
UNDERSTAND spiritual truth, and wisdom, and patience, and spiritual POWER! All
these are imparted to you from God, by the Holy Spirit -- as His GIFT! But
these are given to you to LIVE BY -- to USE, in order to GROW spiritually in
knowledge and grace and to overcome.
MUST There Be "WORKS"?
I have tried to make it PLAIN that we cannot EARN salvation by
"works."
Yet EVERYONE does produce "works" -- either good or bad. Your evil
"works" -- disobedience of the Commandments -- will EARN YOU the
penalty of DEATH. But what about GOOD works? Do they earn anything?
INDEED THEY DO!
Are good "WORKS" required?
INDEED THEY ARE!
But WHAT, then, do they EARN?
They do NOT earn "salvation." They do NOT earn eternal life. They
will NOT get you into the
Well, then! What DO they earn?
Ah -- that is the point of this booklet!
You are not JUSTIFIED by "works," nor "saved" by
"works," but you are to be JUDGED by your "works," and
"rewarded" according to your "works."
This thing called "WORKS" -- MEANING DEEDS, GOOD OR BAD -- CANNOT PUT
YOU INTO God's
This is what ALMOST NO ONE seems to have understood!
First notice what Jesus said -- AFTER His resurrection -- inspired after the
year 90 A.D.: "TO him that OVERCOMETH will I grant to sit with me in my
THRONE ... (Rev. 3:21). Further: "And he that OVERCOMETH, and keepeth my
works unto the end, to him will I give POWER OVER THE NATIONS: AND HE SHALL
RULE THEM ..." (Rev. 2:26-27).
Notice again, "... hast made us unto our God KINGS AND PRIESTS: and WE
SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH (Rev. 5:10).
Notice what is said of those in the first RESURRECTION, at Christ's coming: ...
and they lived AND REIGNED with Christ a thousand years.... Blessed and holy is
he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no
power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, AND SHALL REIGN with Him
a thousand years (Rev. 20:4, 6).
Notice, in these scriptures, the "saved" are to REIGN with Christ in
the coming WORLD GOVERNMENT, the
Now notice further: "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His
Father with His angels; and then He shall REWARD every man ACCORDING TO HIS
WORKS (Mat.
Alexander the coppersmith did great evil to the Apostle Paul, and Paul says:
"... the Lord reward him according to his works" (II Tim.
Now notice Remains 4:4: "Now to him that WORKETH is the reward NOT
reckoned of GRACE, but of DEBT." Salvation is not paid as a DEBT, but is
GIVEN by GRACE -- undeserved GIFT. But "WORKS" earn wages, paid as a
debt.
So what we WANT is not GRACE or WORKS, but GRACE and WORKS.
The "GRACE" will get us into God's Kingdom -- give us Immortality as
God's GIFT. The works will EARN us -- that is, QUALIFY us for a better office
-- an opportunity for bigger SERVICE -- for doing MORE GOOD, once we are born
into God's Kingdom.
Degree of Reward
Notice, now, Jesus' parable of the "pounds."
Jesus' disciples wrongly supposed the
"... Because they thought the
"And He called His ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said
unto them, 'Occupy till I come.' But His citizens hated Him, and sent a message
after Him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us'" (verses
13-14). Jesus had come "to His own," the Jews -- the remnant of the
But continue Jesus' parable:
"And it came to pass, that when He was returned" -- now speaking of
what will happen at Christ's return -- "having received the Kingdom, then
He commanded these servants to be called unto Him, to whom he had given the
money, that He might know how much every man had gained by trading" (Luke
19:15).
This is speaking of every converted true Christian, to whom God has GIVEN of
His Holy Spirit, and spiritual gifts. Every one, at that time entering God's
Kingdom as an INHERITOR -- as a POSSESSOR, no longer just an HEIR -- actually
then "SAVED" -- will be called to an accounting -- JUDGED, to
determine WHAT POSITION in God s Kingdom he has qualified for. And NOTICE that
this REWARD will be according to his "WORKS" in this present mortal
life. Continue, verses 16-19:
"Then came the first, saying, 'Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.'
And He said unto him, 'Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful
in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.' And the second came,
saying, 'Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.' And He said likewise to him,
'Be thou also over five cities.'"
NOTICE CAREFULLY! They got into God's Kingdom by GRACE (as numerous other
scriptures make plain). But they are rewarded -- that is, given authority, or
rule, or position, according to their "WORKS" according to how well
they did with what they had to do with WHILE CHRIST WAS IN HEAVEN -- that is,
during their mortal Christian lives.
Continue now:
Beginning verse 20 -- read it in your Bible -- the ones who GAINED NOTHING in
this present mortal life -- the ones who had no good "works" -- who
did not grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ (II Peter 3:18) -- not only
was not given ANY position -- but even had TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM even the
spiritual gift he had been given! In this parable, the English pound, the main
English unit of money -- worth approximately $2.50
This parable teaches what has been shown by other scriptures in this booklet --
that the Christian must OVERCOME; he must GROW spiritually -- grow in grace and
in the knowledge of Christ (II Peter
We are beings SAVED to SERVE -- and if we do not qualify to serve, we may have
taken away even the salvation we thought we had!
IF you do not have good works, you have evil works, or sin, which earns the
penalty of sin -- DEATH!
The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) shows the same thing, showing
that each is judged by what he has to do with. But the one who makes no
PROGRESS after his initial "conversion" is cast as an
"unprofitable servant into outer darkness" (Matt. 25:30).
Life Is a Race
Finally, SEE WHERE ALL THIS LEADS US. Man is MORTAL, without inherent life,
possessing in himself only a transitory, physical, chemical EXISTENCE.
God is IMmortal, composed of Spirit, having self-contained life inherent within
Himself. He made mortal man to be formed and shaped like He is, but composed of
matter. ETERNAL life comes as God’s GIFT. It comes through the gift of God's
Holy Spirit, GIVEN after the prior conditions of real REPENTANCE, and FAITH in
Christ.
But, once receiving the GIFT of the Holy Spirit, entering upon the Christian
life, this Christian life is pictured as A RACE in a stadium, or in a contest.
We must TURN FROM SIN (and the Bible definition of SIN is: transgression of
God's Law -- I John 3:4). Notice: "Wherefore ... let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which doth so easily besets us, and let us run with
patience the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1).
FURTHER, Paul wrote: "And this I do for the Gospel's sake, that I might be
partaker thereof with you. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all,
but ONE receiveth the prize? So RUN, that ye may obtain. And every man, that
striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [those
unconverted] do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we [Christians] an
incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so FIGHT I ... lest that
by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway
[REJECTED]" (I Cor. 9:23-27).
We must STRIVE to overcome. We must fight temptation and sin. The Christian
life was pictured by Jesus as the hard, rutty, difficult way -- NOT the easy
way that leads to destruction.
So, SALVATION -- being BORN INTO God's Kingdom -- depends not only on once
receiving the Holy Spirit, but BEING LED BY God's Spirit through life (Rom.
8:14), and God's Spirit DWELLING IN US, at the end of life's race. That is, at
the time of death, or of Christ's coming, whichever comes first.
God's impregnating Holy Spirit is received by GRACE, as God's GIFT, not as a
debt or compensation earned; not by "works." But, once we receive the
Holy Spirit, it does not remain bottled up; it does not stagnate; it is not
static -- it FLOWS in outgoing concern (LOVE) to fellow man, and in worship,
reverence, obedience to GOD. It flows into us from God. We can love God only
because He first loved us -- our love toward God is only a return of His love,
which he gives to us.
This spiritual LOVE -- the HOLY SPIRIT -- must be kept on that RETURN CIRCUIT
-- fulfilling God's LAW -- flowing back to GOD by fulfilling the first four
Commandments, and out to neighbour fulfilling the last six.
The parable of the sower and the seed illustrates this. There were four
classes. The first heard the Gospel Message, but it never conceived -- they
never were converted. They may still have a chance- -later. A second class was
converted, with great joy, but simply had no spiritual depth of character, and
endured only for a while, but yielded to temptations UNTIL they fell away --
that is, CONTINUALLY, till they QUIT TRYING. A third was converted, received God's
Spirit, but let the cares of this material life -- earning a living -- or
former unconverted associates -- keeping one foot in the world -- seeking the
PLEASURES of this world's materialism -- and they brought forth NO FRUIT to
perfection. So THEY lost out! YOU MUST BRING
Too many, today, are preaching a FALSE salvation of "NO WORKS."
Your "WORKS" won't get you converted -- won't earn you God's Spirit
-- won't earn salvations I have made PLAIN in this booklet. BUT THE LACK OF
GOOD WORKS CAN GET YOU LOST, if persisted in!
The fourth class of the parable are they, "which in an HONEST and GOOD
HEART, having heard the Word, KEEP it, and bring forth fruit with
patience" (Luke
But those who bring forth a hundredfold, during their Christian lives, will
receive a higher REWARD, or position in the Kingdom, than those who produce
only thirty fold!
SALVATION comes as God's free GIFT, by GRACE.
But the DEGREE of office, once in the Kingdom -- once made IMmortal -- the
rank, the position, the degree of glory -- this is what you must QUALIFY FOR,
by the fruits you bear in THIS LIFE. Your degree of REWARD will be according to
your works!
THAT is the teaching of God!
We Must Produce "Fruit"
SALVATION, I repeat again and again, is GOD'S FREE GIFT -- not something you
can earn. BUT, once you have received God's Holy Spirit -- BY GRACE -- that
Spirit in you must produce FRUIT!
The Bible again explains it this way: Jesus says He is the Vine -- we are the
branches (John 15:1, 5). Here we are likened to a grapevine and its branches.
The BRANCHES did not get themselves joined on to the main vine by their own
efforts. We did not become joined to Christ -- receiving -- His Holy Spirit by
our "works," but it was His doing -- His GIFT -- it came by GRACE.
BUT once joined on, with the SAP flowing from the Vine into the branch (a
picture of God's Holy Spirit flowing from Him into us), we must produce fruit.
If we don't -- then what?
Notice this whole picture, in John 15. God the Father is the Husbandman -- the
Vine-dresser -- the chief Gardener, who PRUNES the branches. Now notice verse
2: "Every branch in me that beareth NOT fruit He taketh away." If,
once having received the Holy Spirit, we do not produce spiritual fruit, we
shall be cut off from Christ -- and (verse 6), shall be cast into the fire and
BURNED UP -- referring to the final Gehenna or hellfire!
The Holy Spirit is GIVEN to us -- we didn't deserve or earn it -- but given to
PRODUCE FRUIT. HOW? Jesus pictured the Holy Spirit (John
Oh, one will vehemently object, THAT'S "WORKS." No -- it's
righteousness. But IT IS NOT OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS! God's Spirit GIVES us the FAITH
that makes obedience possible. This is the FAITH that SAVES! It is God's GIFT.
And the LOVE that fulfils God's Law is His love, flowing into and out of us --
NOT OUR LOVE! It is not SELF- righteousness -- it is GOD'S righteousness, GIVEN
to us.
What KIND of Works?
One further passage of Scripture should COMPLETE the picture.
It is in the third chapter of I Corinthians in the Revised Standard Version.
Notice carefully:
Some of these Gentile converts at
"What then is Apollos?" he asked (verse 5). "What is Paul?"
And he answered, "Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned
to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but GOD gave the GROWTH." Paul was
showing them that he and Apollos, mere humans, were as NOTHING compared to GOD.
The spiritual GROWTH -- the FRUIT BORNE -- the WORKS -- came through God's Holy
Spirit. The apostle continued:
"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who
gives the growth." Notice -- God GIVES the spiritual growth -- the fruits
borne. It is GOD'S righteousness. "He who plants and he who waters are
equal, and each shall receive his wages according to his labor" (verse 8).
Once again, our WORKS do EARN wages -- either good or bad. Evil works earn
eternal DEATH. Good works earn a better position or reward in God's Kingdom --
IF you get there by GRACE. Now continue:
"For we are fellow workers for God; YOU are God's field, God's
building" (verse 9). Apply that to this very Work of GOD today. Today God
is using me, our active staff of several hundred, and our growing family of
Co-Workers who contribute financially -- all FELLOW WORKMEN for God. Our WORK
in carrying out Christ's Great commission -- proclaiming His Gospel around the
world by radio, television and printing press -- our ministers counselling with
and baptizing those being converted -- the PRAYERS and financial support of
other FELLOWWORKMEN -- will EARN a better position -- a higher glory if we make
it into God's Kingdom.
But we shall be SAVED only by GRACE, undeserved -- as God's GIFT. Yet our WORK,
as instruments in GOD'S HANDS, which HE uses in HIS WORK, is the most important
Work or activity on earth today! And it contributes greatly to our individual
and personal SPIRITUAL GROWTH!
But continue:
Paul says further, "According to the commission of God given to me, like a
skilled master builder I laid a foundation and another man is building upon
it" (verse 10). He now pictures THE CHURCH AS A BUILDING being built.
Continue: "Let each man take care how he builds upon it." Now
referring to each individual member as well as the Body of Christ -- the
Church, as a whole.
"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is
JESUS CHRIST" (verse 11).
Continue: "Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver,
precious stones, wood, hay, stubble -- each man's WORK will become manifest;
for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the
fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the WORK which any man
has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward" (verses
12-14).
Christ Does the Works "in Us"
The FOUNDATION did not come by OUR WORKS! That was GOD'S doing. He GAVE us the
FOUNDATION to build upon. That foundation is CHRIST -- and it is "Christ
IN us" (II Cor. 13:5; Gal.
Now notice the MATERIALS mentioned in building the superstructure of the
building. The most valuable is mentioned first -- GOLD. Second in value and
QUALITY of building materials is mentioned next, SILVER. Next, precious stones;
next, wood -- far less valuable. But now we come down to CHEAPNESS, and
INFERIOR QUALITY -- HAY! Hay might be used in covering a tropical-zone hut --
but it is very inferior building material. Yet, a horse could eat it -- it has
some little value. But, lastly, we come to STUBBLE! You couldn't even build a
hut with stubble. A horse wouldn't eat it. Its value is about NIL. It's fit
only to be BURNED!
Must Build Character
In this scriptural passage, we are primarily concerned with BUILDING character.
But now Paul speaks of TESTING the quality of a man's building by FIRE. Let's
understand it! Continue: "If any man's work is BURNED UP, he will suffer
loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (verse
15). WHAT is that "fire"?
To understand this, we need to turn to the 3rd chapter of Malachi. It speaks of
Christ, as the Messenger of the (new) Covenant, suddenly coming to His Temple.
This, like so many prophecies, is dual in application. It refers only typically
to Christ's first coming -- primarily to His second coming!
"... And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even
the messenger of the covenant ... But who may abide the day of his coming? and
who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's FIRE, and like
fullers' soap: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he
shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may
offer unto the ETERNAL an offering in RIGHTEOUSNESS (Malachi 3:1-3).
Plainly, this is speaking of Christ's second coming as KING of kings, to set up
WORLD GOVERNMENT over ALL NATIONS. Then we who have received God's GRACE -- in
whom is the Holy Spirit, then made immortal -- shall stand before Him for
judgment as to what reward, or position, we have qualified for. Christ Himself
is that refiner's FIRE, that will burn up the dross. But the pure gold, silver,
or precious stones we have BUILT on the foundation of CHRIST will then be
MANIFEST -- it will come through the test. But the hay and straw will be burned
up.
Again, of those who, BY GRACE, do receive SALVATION, and are born IMmortal into
God's Kingdom at Christ's appearing, Christ says He will bring them
"through the FIRE, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try
them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will
say, 'It is MY PEOPLE:' and they shall say, 'The ETERNAL is my God (Zech.
13:9).
Now back to I Corinthians 3:13-15. It ought to be plain, now!
This is speaking of begotten children of God, who have received God's Holy Spirit
-- that is, CHRIST in them, in Spirit -- as the FOUNDATION. Some people, once
converted and receiving God's Spirit, do begin to live by every word of the
Bible, as Jesus said we must (Luke 4:4). They have had their hearts in GOD'S
WORK for our time. They have prayed for it daily -- prayed for God's guidance
and protection of those of us active in it -- contributed generously and
cheerfully toward it financially.
They have sought, and found, the TRUE VALUES of life. They have striven to
overcome. They have studied to know God's WAY -- to show themselves approved
unto GOD. They have kept close to God, by daily Bible study and prayer. They
have BUILT RIGHTEOUS, SPIRITUAL, STERLING character! In other words, they have
built on the FOUNDATION with gold, silver, and precious stones. These have
survived the TEST. They came through the fire. These are the ones who
"brought forth fruit" -- whose "pound" gained "ten
pounds" -- who will be given authority over MUCH.
But there are MANY -- and I personally know of many such -- who with JOY have
received God's Holy Spirit -- their conversion as Christians -- and have
remained in a GOOD ATTITUDE, but whose "WORKS have been of inferior
quality, pictured by the hay and stubble. Most of their "WORKS" of
their Christian lives will be burned up, when the final examination comes.
Their reward -- status in the Kingdom -- position qualified for -- is very
small, yet THEY, themselves, will be saved by God's grace! They suffer the LOSS
of higher position -- greater authority for service and doing good -- but they
themselves will be saved.
We are SAVED by GRACE, through Christ's FAITH -- given as God's GIFT. But
whatever "REWARD" -- status, rank, position, degree of GLORY -- is
conferred, once we are changed to immortality IN God's Kingdom, will be
according to our "works" in this present mortal life -- and according
to the character and quality of those works.
And remember, even the WORKS come through God's Holy Spirit -- the works of
righteousness are not our self-righteousness, but GOD'S righteousness. That's
the KIND of "WORKS" I believe in and teach!
WHY the Christian Life?
WHY do most of those who claim to be the very CLERGY of Jesus Christ say there
are NO WORKS WHATEVER" in the Christian life?
Because of their false pagan and unscriptural doctrine about what
"salvation" is. Their conception of salvation seems to be an eternity
of idleness and ease -- with nothing to do. The development of the very
CHARACTER of the living GOD -- preparing for RULERSHIP -- qualifying for
SERVICE -- have no place in their false pagan theology.
Many times I have asked, over the air, and in The PLAIN TRUTH, "WHY, if
there are 'no works' to the Christian life, is not one taken immediately, upon
first accepting Christ, to his 'reward'? WHY must the converted Christian -- if
he is 'already saved' finally, if he has been already 'born again' -- go on
suffering IN THIS LIFE? WHY does the Bible say, 'Many are the afflictions of
the righteous,' and 'All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution?' WHY not avoid all this suffering? WHY doesn't God take new
converts immediately to 'glory' -- or wherever, or whatever, they conceive as
the eternal state of the saved?"
The answer is that God put humans on this earth for a PURPOSE! That PURPOSE is
stated in Genesis 1:26 -- God is actually reproducing Himself! God is the
Supreme Spiritual CHARACTER -- holy, righteous, perfect. We, to be actually
BORN of Him -- BORN into His FAMILY as HIS divine children -- must be changed,
not only from mortal to IMmortal -- not only from human to divine -- but from
our human nature and sinning character, into HIS DIVINE Nature (II Peter 1:4)
and into His HOLINESS and PERFECTION of character (I Peter 1:16; Matt. 5:48).
And that must be developed, through the Christian life! It means overcoming,
growing in knowledge and character!
We are to become a NEW CREATION (Gal.
Your Part in GOD'S WORK
In my over fifty years' intensive, rich, active experience, since God changed
MY direction into HIS WAY, I have observed that the very first need of every
Christian, who is to GROW and develop this spiritual character, is to have his
heart completely in THE WORK OF GOD, which the living Christ has called His
servants to do, as His instruments! Our "works" are our part in GOD'S
WORK -- getting His true Gospel to the whole world as a witness -- preparing
the way for Christ's coming. We are merely His INSTRUMENTS. It is GOD'S WORK!
Those who condemn "WORKS" are condemning the Great GOD who is the
actual DOER through us as His instruments and Co-Workers! It is not, after all,
our works!
Those who are self-centered, caring nothing for the WORK OF GOD, having not
enough outgoing concern to want to help GET CHRIST'S MESSAGE out to this
blinded, deceived, dying world, fall away. Those who centre their whole
"Christian" life and activity on developing their own selves
spiritually, whose hearts are not in or concerned about this great OUTGOING
worldwide WORK OF GOD, actually directed by the living CHRIST, develop only
INWARDLY, until they shrivel up spiritually and fall by the wayside! Those whose
hearts, their active, constant, earnest, fervent PRAYERS, and their tithes and
offerings are in GOD'S WORK continue to EXPAND spiritually -- they become
HAPPIER -- they become greatly BLESSED -- their lives become richer and fuller
-- and their faces beam in smiles. They RADIATE! They PROSPER!
The New Testament is literally filled with instruction on Christian living --
leading a new, different, sparkling, joyous life- -or, perhaps more correctly,
allowing Jesus Christ to live such a life -- GOD'S WAY in them!
How WONDERFUL is God's Way!
SALVATION comes -- if we are willing -- as God's FREE GIFT -- by GRACE!
But we must be changed. There is DOING, not hearing only (Rom.