“If you address as Father the One who impartially judges
according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of
your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things
like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your
forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless,
the blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:17–19, NASB95)
There are so many people out there who think that everyone
gets what they deserve, whether it be karma or the meted-out judgment of some
works based god. There are also others who simply believe that we live and then
we die with nothing else. For this later group, anything we do stands or falls entirely
in this life as they deny any power outside of man himself. But Peter is not
talking to any of these people. He is talking to those who know God as their
Father. He is talking to believers—Christians. We are those who are saved not
by any works that we have done, but by the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done
in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration
and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through
Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made
heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:5–7, NASB95)
Yes, our God is impartial and He will judge impartially. But
for believers this judgment is not for salvation, but for rewards that are
given to those who are saved. We continue to read in verse 8 of Titus 3, “This
is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak
confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in
good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.” (Titus 3:8, NASB95)
The teaching is consistent. We are not saved by our works, but we are saved for
good works, and in Ephesians 2:10 we read that these very works were even prepared
for us from beforehand. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
(Ephesians 2:10, NASB95)
We just read in a previous verse (v. 13) that we are to be
ready for action, and to think soberly, and to stay focused on our hope for
eternity. Here Peter continues by encouraging us with the assurance that God
will indeed see the works we do according to His power and He will recognize us
appropriately. Our call is to know His grace, to walk with hope as we seek
after Him, and serve Him with all that He gives us.
Jesus saved us by giving Himself. He lives and will bring us
to Himself. He is infinitely God, and because of His work the Father will
receive us, embrace us, and reward us with things that truly last. There will
be no need to hook up a U-Haul to our hearse. When we step out of these bodies
we leave everything behind and step into His very presence where He will deal
with us in ways that never perish.
In times of persecution, suffering, loss, and enduring, and
waiting it can be very easy to lose sight, to become overwhelmed by the
immediate, and to become discouraged or disheartened. But God is faithful. He
will bring us surely to His end and He will receive us. Why? Because we did not
buy our ticket.
There is a link between works and salvation. But
it is not our work that makes it possible. It is His work for us that is
perfect and spotless. There is no fault or failing in Him, and because of Him
our hope is sure. We did not earn our way. Jesus paid it all, and He has made
us joint heirs for all of eternity. And, having paid our way, we are called to
do His work in response. Passages like these are reminders that we are to keep
the truth of salvation and works in the right order because of the righteous
work of God our Father and the Son, Jesus Christ.
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