Works and Faith: What's the Difference?

Martin Luther, during the 1500s, lived much of his life feeling as though he was somebody of no reputation. He was a monk, and whenever he felt guilty, he would beat himself multiple times across his back with stripes. This was a common practice among Christian monks at the time, and he would beat himself mercilessly, often to the point that he despaired of life.

Then one day, I believe, while reading Scripture, he came across Ephesians 2:8–9. After reading it, he was astonished.

"Whoa, wait a second. This whole time I felt guilty. This whole time I was beating myself, trying to attain righteousness through works."

He realized that the grace Jesus had given him was not due to his works of righteousness but because of the grace God had given him through faith.

Wow. Salvation was through faith alone, not works.

This was astonishing at the time because of the influence of the Catholic Church. The Pope held tremendous authority during the period in which Martin Luther lived, and people had to pay money to the Pope in order to be relieved of their sins, receive a special word from God, or live what they believed to be a good life. That was, for many people, how it was done at the time.

However, when Martin Luther, like a thesis writer, nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of a church in the part of Europe where he lived, the people who read them were shocked. They were astonished that someone was actually willing to challenge the system and boldly declare that the salvation of souls is not through works of righteousness. It is not through the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

This was revolutionary because it meant that the money the Catholic Church, the Pope, the bishops, the deacons, and many corrupt leaders of that time were making through the church would begin to dwindle if this good news—the Gospel—were to shine into the hearts of many people.

The Apostle Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians 4. He says, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ... should shine unto them." I have paraphrased it, but the King James Version says it clearly. In today's world, many people are searching through religion, meditation, the laws of the universe, and different forms of spiritual worship, trying to attain salvation, perfection, or inner peace through works—through becoming what they consider to be a "good person." This mindset has become burdensome for many people. It has left them tired, exhausted, and unable to truly enjoy life.

They are afraid they might do something wrong. They constantly live with guilt, drowning their sorrows in alcohol, wine, and various substances. I do not say this to condemn them. I say it because I understand that feeling.

Before I was saved, before I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, I was also trying to escape. I drowned my thoughts in music. I surrounded myself with people and parties. I avoided sitting alone with my own thoughts. I buried myself in distractions and even entertained delusions that came from spending too much time alone.

Yet, in the essence of Scripture, Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me." The verse is here.

What Jesus was saying is that religious service had become too burdensome for the Jewish people of His day. They longed to be free from the heavy demands and obligations placed upon them by the Pharisees, the high religious officials of Jerusalem and Judea. In comparison, the Roman people, who worshipped pagan idols, appeared to have more freedom. The Jewish people, however, lived under constant religious obligation. They worshipped a God they did not yet fully know as Father, carrying out religious observances without truly understanding why.

Then Jesus came and revealed the Father to them. He showed them that they did not need to live under endless religious observances to earn God's acceptance. Instead, they could have a relationship with God through Him.

So, what Jesus did—and this is the message of salvation, the Gospel message—is that God sent His Son to die on the cross. The blood is life, and because blood is life, an innocent man had to die so that another man could be acquitted.

Does that make sense? No, but that is the Gospel message.

If you look at the United States, there is the death penalty. A man who is under the death penalty must be executed because he has murdered another person, and justice is carried out according to the law. In a similar way, Jesus took all our guilt, all our oppression, all our sins, and all our infirmities upon Himself.

We were dead in our trespasses and sins, trying to attain worthiness and righteousness through the law, through being or doing good things. But now we are made free to God through the blood of Jesus. Through His death, we are made innocent because of His righteousness, and God raised Him up on the third day.

He raised Him up on the third day, completely cleansed of all the unrighteousness that He had taken upon Himself for us. Now He sits at the right hand of the throne of God. Because He humbled Himself all the way to the end, the spiritual principle remains true: whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Since Jesus humbled Himself more than anyone who ever has or ever will, He now possesses all power in heaven and on earth.

So, not only do you have a friend who is God—the Son of God, the image of God—you also have a friend whom you know will do anything for you, who will leave the ninety-nine to find the one. This Jesus wants to have a relationship with you because He died for you and rose again on the third day.

He also wants you to believe this.

In the book of Romans, it says plainly in Romans chapter 10—the verse is here—that the word is near you, even the word of faith: that if anyone confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that God raised Him from the dead, they will be saved.

That is all you need to do. You simply need to believe.

I can lead you through what many call the sinner's prayer, but it really is that simple. After that, you can go on to do good works. Jesus fulfilled the law by saying that the fulfilment of the law is love, because faith works through love.

If you love your neighbour as yourself, and if you love God more than yourself, then it is only natural that you will love others. It really is that simple.

Yet this simplicity is difficult for the human mind to grasp. That is why God has given us His Word—this Bible—so that we can understand just how graciously He loves us.

This is Young People Please Calm Down. I'm Michael Uzor.

The topic today was Works and Faith.

Thank you for reading this article, and I'll see you in the next one.