Sinners Yes, Works Don’t Do It

I can do all the works possible, and that will still not give me the salvation or justification in the LORD.

“¹⁶yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” — Galatians 2:16 (ESV)

I have to be careful with how I look at this. It would be easy for me to abandon all good works as they do nothing for me and my salvation is from my acceptance of the gift from Christ and the relationship I have with Him. It is not the works that does it, it is my faith in Him. But, I still have to do the works to demonstrate the love of Christ and to bring the gospel to others to ensure that they have the opportunity to accept the gift of salvation and create a relationship with Christ for themselves.

I cannot go back and think that doing the work will somehow give me more. I am already a sinner and therefor there is no way for me to get out of that. I have to move forward and not go back. But, Jesus will love me always. Whether I am moving forward or falling back, I will still be His. I will not be going back to being a sinner as I never left that identity.

“¹⁷But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!” — Galatians 2:17 (ESV)

The works I do are as a result of my salvation and not a way to “buy” my salvation. I have to remember my faith in Christ and not look to the works to somehow give me more. I have already received the ultimate gift from Christ and that is in spite of my sin.

Christ died for me and it is my faith in the saving grace He provides that grants me a stay of death myself. My faith is what grants me the justification to be called a child of God. It is not the amount or gravity of the works I do that have any impact on my salvation. I do the works of and for Christ because of my salvation and not to gain salvation. Works don’t do it.

What works are you doing in the world? Are you out there in belief that somehow the more or greater the works, the less of a sinner you are? What if you just had faith in your salvation and did the works to demonstrate that salvation and not to somehow gain salvation as works don’t do it?