"NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE" Titus 3:5
Pastor Don Fortner
Grace Baptist Church of Danville
2734 Old Stanford Road
Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438
Good works are very important in their place, the more the better. I would do everything within my power to promote good works among God's saints. But good works have absolutely nothing to do with the accomplishment, preservation, or consummation of our salvation. "The kindness and love of God our Savior toward us" is not dependent, in any measure, upon our good works.
Good works do not cause, sustain, or improve the believer's salvation and eternal relationship with God (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 1:9). Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Every aspect of salvation, from beginning to end, is the work of God's free and sovereign grace in Christ. Nothing is dependent upon or determined by the works of men, except eternal damnation. Salvation is by grace alone.
ELECTION, REDEMPTION, AND CALLING
God's eternal choice of his people unto salvation was an election of grace, without any consideration of works (Rom. 9:11-13; 2 Thess. 2:13). Our redemption by the blood of Christ was a free grace purchase of our souls out from under the curse of the law (Eph. 1:6-7; 1 John 4:9-10). All who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ have been regenerated, born again, and called by grace alone (John 1:11-13; Eph. 2:1-5). We are justified freely by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, without the works of the law (Rom. 3:20-28).
SANCTIFICATION AND PRESERVATION
Like election, redemption, justification and regeneration, sanctification is a work of grace alone, as well (Heb. 10:10-14; 1 Cor. 1:30). We do not sanctify ourselves by our works any more than we can justify ourselves by our works. Christ is our Sanctifier and our Sanctification. God's saints are all preserved and kept by grace alone. And our preservation by grace is not dependent, to any degree, upon our own works (Jer. 32:38-40; John 10:27-29; Rom. 8:28-39; Phil. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:5; Jude 24-25).
HEAVENLY GLORY
And our eternal reward in heaven is the reward of grace alone. In heaven's glory we will not be rewarded for our works, but for the works of Christ our Substitute. And that reward of eternal life shall be given to us as the free gift of God's eternal grace toward us in Christ (Matt. 25:34; Eph. 1:3, 11, 14; Rom. 8:17; 6:23). The glory and bliss of eternal life is the purchased possession of every believer, freely bestowed upon God's elect by the grace of God, without any works on our part.
