Some religionists who talk much about “salvation” and “grace” accuse me of proclaiming a salvation by works. The accusation is false!

The answer to these false accusations is something few people comprehend—including the world’s religious leaders!

So let’s understand! For this is vital to your life!

There’s a Vast Difference!

There is a 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.

The Bible tells us what are the spiritual consequences of sin. It also explains what “salvation” means. One meaning is “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” (Romans 6:23).

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.

So, to preserve life 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.” It comes as God’s free gift. Neither can you erase the penalty of sin—that is, prevent eternal death. For ”all have sinned” (Romans 3:23). That includes you! You have brought on yourself the eternal death sentence, as a penalty!

The Bible teaches nothing about an “immortal soul.” On the contrary, it teaches, twice, that “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). Jesus said the “soul” can be destroyed in gehenna fire (Matthew 10:28).

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!

God only has immortality. He has it inherent. He has it to give. You do not have it! You must go to God to get it!

But your sins have cut you off from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). 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 3:16).

Yes, but how?

The answer is in Romans 5:8-10: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while 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.

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 … through him.” Notice, being ”saved” is yet in the future. We are now “justified,” by God’s grace—by Jesus’s 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!

How Eternal Life Comes

So, with the sentence of eternal death paid for us—our past sins that put a barrier between us and God justified—we are now reconciled to God—given access. And He has eternal life inherent—self-containing 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 5:26). God has imparted inherent eternal life to the living Jesus Christ. Now, further: “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life [eternal]; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:11-12).

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 2:38). On real repentance of sinning—a turning around to go the other way—to quit sinning—and on faith in Jesus expressed by water baptism (see Acts 8:35-38) God has promised we shall receive His Holy Spirit as a gift. Not by our “works”—but by grace!

But how does this give us eternal life—salvation?

“But 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” (Romans 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! 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 (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

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 …” (Ephesians 1:12-14). The Moffatt translation renders it in more understandable English, “[T]he long-promised holy Spirit, which is the pledge and installment of our common heritage, that we may [in future] obtain our divine possession ….”

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 (Galatians 3:29). They are now still mortal, not immortal. They are now begotten sons of God—not yet born of God. They are now in the Church of God—not yet in the Kingdom of God.

May We Go on Sinning?

But now what of that scripture that says: “[Y]e are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

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?” (Romans 6:1-2). Later, verse 12: “Let not sin [transgressing God’s law] therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”

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” (1 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” (Romans 13:10). But carnal human love cannot fulfill it. Why? Because the law of God is a spiritual law (Romans 7:14). It can be fulfilled only by a spiritual love, which is the gift of God. It is “the love of God … shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy [Spirit]” (Romans 5:5). And again, God gives His Holy Spirit only to “them that obey him” (Acts 5:32).

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 you 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 Kingdom of God!

Well, then! What do they earn?

Ah—that is the point of this article!

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 Kingdom of immortals. You get in by grace! But, once in, your works during this present life—during your Christian life after being converted and receiving God’s Holy Spirit—do determine what office, or position, or rank, or degree of glory, you shall have!

This is what almost no one seems to have understood!

First notice what Jesus said—after His resurrection—inspired after the year a.d. 90: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne …” (Revelation 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 …” (Revelation 2:26-27).

Notice again, “[H]ast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10).

Notice what is said of those in the first resurrection at Christ’s coming: “[A]nd 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” (Revelation 20:4, 6).

Notice, in these scriptures, the “saved” are to reign with Christ in the coming world government, the Kingdom of God. And notice the requirement of overcoming, and keeping Christ’s works and also of enduring to the end.’ Notice! Jesus said, “[H]e that … keepeth my works unto the end.”

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” (Matthew 16:27). Nowhere does the Bible teach being saved by our works, but it does teach the degree of reward according to works.

Alexander the coppersmith did great evil to the Apostle Paul, and Paul says: “[T]he Lord reward him according to his works” (2 Timothy 4:14). Notice this distinction! This man did evil works. He won’t get salvation at Christ’s coming. He will be rewarded—that is, paid wages according to his works—and the wages of sin is death—eternal punishment. ”Works” means the wages you earn—or the reward to be given—either good or bad. Evil works (sin) can earn eternal punishment, but good works can earn a better position or office in God’s Kingdom if you get there—but it cannot earn salvation!

Now notice Romans 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’s parable of the pounds.

Jesus’s disciples wrongly supposed the Kingdom of God was to appear in their lifetime. To correct this error, Jesus spoke this parable.

“[B]ecause they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return” (Luke 19:11-12). That is, Jesus Himself was going to heaven to receive for Himself the Kingdom of God, and to return to Earth. Now continue:

“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 kingdom of Judah—and they “received him not” (John 1:11), so Jesus turned to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” (Matthew 15:24), and sent His 12 apostles to them (Matthew 10:6). That is, to the so-called lost 10 tribes of Israel. They were then, most of them, in northwestern Europe and the British Isles (read our free book, The United States and Britain in Prophecy).

But continue Jesus’s parable:

“And it came to pass, that when he was returned”—now speaking of what shall 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, now entering God’s Kingdom as an inheritor—as a possessor, no longer just an heir—actually now 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 Christian lives.

Continue now:

Beginning verse 20—read it in your Bible—the one who gained nothing in this present mortal life—the one who had no good works—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 basic English unit of money, is used in translation as a symbol of spiritual value.

This parable teaches what has been shown by other scriptures in this article—that the Christian must overcome; he must grow spiritually—grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18). We are being saved to serve—and if we do not qualify to serve, we may have taken away even the salvation we thought we had!

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 spiritual progress after his initial “conversion” is cast as an “unprofitable servant into outer darkness” (Matthew 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. 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—1 John 3:4). Notice: “Wherefore … let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 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 [rejected]” (1 Corinthians 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 (Romans 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 neighbor 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 forth fruit—make spiritual progress—develop spiritual character! 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—as I have made plain in this article. 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 8:15). In Matthew’s account of this same parable, those finally saved, enduring to the end of life’s race, brought forth fruit—some 30-fold, some 60, some a hundred. All of these were saved! All of these go into God’s Kingdom.

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 30-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 not by grace—this is not God’s gift—this is what you must qualify for, by the fruits you bear in this life.

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 explains this 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.” 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 hell fire!

The Holy Spirit is given to us—we didn’t deserve it or earn it—but given to produce fruit. How? Jesus pictured the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39) as rivers of “living water”—flowing from Him into us, and on out of us. How will it flow on out of us? A “river” flows down a riverbed. The spiritual riverbed down which God’s Spirit flows is God’s law. This “living water” of God’s Spirit is the love that fulfills the law. The fruits, then, are simply the way of righteousness—keeping God’s law.

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 fulfills 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 1 Corinthians. Notice carefully:

Some of these Gentile converts at Corinth wanted to be followers of Paul, others of Peter, others of Apollos. Paul was pointing them to Christ, and showing what human “nothingness” was he and Apollos.

“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” (Revised Standard Version). Paul was showing them that he and Apollos, mere humans, were as nothing compared to God. The spiritual growth—the fruit borne—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:

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 any one 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, straw—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” (2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 2:20; 4:19; Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 1:27), by the Holy Spirit! God’s Spirit—Christ in you—was given by grace, not produced by your works. But you must continue to build upon that “Foundation.” We must overcome. We must grow spiritually (2 Peter 3:18).

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 hut—but it is very inferior building material. Yet, a horse could eat it—it has some little value. But, lastly, we come to straw or stubble! You couldn’t even build a hut with stubble. A horse wouldn’t eat it. Its value is about nil.

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 third 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!

“[A]nd 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 Lord 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 wood, 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 Lord is my God” (Zechariah 13:9).

Now back to 1 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 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 wood, 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 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.

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 unscriptural doctrine about “going to heaven” when you die.

Their concept of “heaven” 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 theology.

Many times I have asked, ”Why if ‘heaven’ is the reward of the saved, and 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’—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’ in ‘heaven’?”

The answer is that God put humans on 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 (2 Peter 1:4) and into His holiness and perfection of character (1 Peter 1:16; Matthew 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 (Galatians 6:15; margin). God’s spiritual creation is still going on, in us! We are now mere clay—made of the dust of the ground. God is the Potter—we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8). We must, on our own decision, with our own complete submission, and even with our own effort accompanying, yield so that the Master Potter may completely remake, refashion, reshape our vile characters into the holy, righteous, spiritual and perfect character of God.

Your Part in God’s Work

In my 50 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!

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 center 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 (Romans 2:13). There is development of a new righteous character. Yet even that is Christ in you actually doing it! Actually, even the “works” are primarily done by Him! But how wonderful that there are righteous works in the true Christian life—opportunity for more than salvation, priceless though that be—opportunity for higher position, rank, opportunity to serve, higher glory!

From the Archives: Plain Truth , February 1967