The idea of salvation by works causes most people in the religious world to rise up quickly. Some in the church, after spending too much time reading after denominational writers, come to the conclusion that we are saved by grace alone. Both ideas come from the same pool. Those of the religious world want to believe that we can do nothing on our own to save ourselves. It is sometimes said like, saved by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone. Such wording is a mouthful and the meaning of the word “alone” contradicts the fullness of the statement.
Those who claim they are Christians and teach we are saved by grace alone do so from the position of wanting to believe all sins are covered without repentance. Whether one uses the term, “faith only” or “grace only” the attempt is to reduce the activity of man toward God. The apostles inspired by the Holy Spirit told that first audience to save themselves from this crooked generation(Acts 2:40). Did the Holy Spirit know what He was telling people to do? Save yourselves implies to any reasonable mind some effort must be made on the part of man.
Paul uses the word obedience when he speaks about Christians working out their own salvation (Philippians2:12). Did the Holy Spirit not mean to convey the idea of working out one’s own salvation? Same Spirit inspired James to write that we are not saved by faith only but a man is justified by works (James 2:24). If one correctly uses what the Spirit has provided in these cases, one could not be saved by the law of Moses. How does one fulfill the law of Christ? It is done by bearing one another’s burdens which speaks of the efforts to restore the wayward one (Galatians 6:1,2).
When has there ever been a time when God did not require effort on the part of man to have a relationship with God? Adam and his wife had to dress and keep the garden as well as avoiding eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Noah had to build a rather large boat. Abraham had to pack up and move his family to unknown territories. What does this tell us? It should show that God requires effort. As an example to make this point let us look at the idea of sin offering found in Leviticus 4.
The groups cited here which needed to get right with God were priests, congregations, rulers and individuals, all seeking to be right with God. In each case the desired result was forgiveness. In each case an animal was brought. The worshipper laid his hand on the head of the animal in order to place the sins on the head or life of the animal. It was then killed. The animal was then dissected. The fat that covered the inside of the animal and the fat on the organs had to be removed. The kidneys and the flap (caul) above the liver and the liver all removed. The dissected parts then were laid on the altar and burned. The remains of the animal were removed outside the camp and there burned (Leviticus 4:1-35).
If one were to look on these events by reading of them from the book of Leviticus, do you think we might conclude effort was being made? In verse 20 and again in verse 26 we find the idea of God forgiving those who made the effort to do what God demanded. These righteous people were forgiven. They did not know how that was achieved until Christ came and shed His blood (Hebrews9:15).
It does not appear to be consistent with the nature of God which does not change, for one to argue we need not put any effort into our relationship with God. Paul explained the great mystery of Christ and the church by using the marriage relationship (Ephesians 5:32). Do we really believe our marriages are made stronger with “no effort”? Why then come to the church bought by the blood of Christ and think we can have a relationship with God with no effort on our part. The solution to fuzzy thinking is found in Galatians2:20 which speaks about being crucified with Christ; that my friend takes a lot of effort.