Steve’s Books
Tag Archives: good works
Meditation: A Faith That Works, James 2:26
We’re familiar with James 2:26: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Do we know what it implies? James is talking about living life in a way that bears witness to … Continue reading
Sin Perverts the Law
A scribe asked Jesus which was the greatest of all the commandments. Jesus answered that these two laws are the framework upon which all the OT laws hang: love God with all you are and love your neighbor as yourself. … Continue reading
Are we justified by faith, or by works?
James 2:14 begins a train of thought that has puzzled readers probably ever since it was written. Here is the beginning of the passage: What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have … Continue reading
Posted in The Bible
Tagged faith, good works, judgment, Mosaic Law, obedience, Revelation, reward
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Our Righteous Standing in Christ
If I were reading the articles on my web site as a new Christian, I would have felt anxious. I would have examined my life and wondered if I’m good enough, if I’m working hard enough, or if I’m committed … Continue reading
Posted in Encouragement
Tagged accountability, faith, good works, judgment, Kingdom of God, love
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The Cultural Christian versus the Called-out Christian
It has been said that if you were born in India, you would most likely be a Hindu because your parents were. If you grew up in the Middle East, then you would be one of the three strains of … Continue reading
Posted in Society and Culture
Tagged atheists, Christianity, good works, growth, salvation
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Grace and Works Go Together
I fear we are limiting God’s grace in our lives. I’ve seen two different aspects of God’s grace testified to. We often emphasize salvation is by grace, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). In this passage, grace is God being merciful and … Continue reading
What character traits does Jesus want to see in His church when He comes again?
Or, are you ready for a reward? When I wrote my book, Ready for a Reward, I examined verses that were related to the end times which also mentioned a character value. That is, the verses had two aspects: 1. … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, Jesus on Judgment
Tagged Christ's Return, end times, good works, growth, judgment, prophecy, reward
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The Deceitful Heart
I consider myself a good person, not from any genuinely good works that I am doing, but because I’m not doing bad things, or I’m not as bad as “those people.” That’s deceitful thinking, because Jesus said that no one … Continue reading
What part of life is religious?
How much of life is religious, and how much is not? How much has to do with God, and how much does not? Is “church time” the religious part, and outside church, life is not? A response of Jesus addressed … Continue reading
The Pharisee in Church
The frequent run-ins between Jesus and the Pharisees were a clash between the Pharisee’s preoccupation with external things and Jesus’ emphasis on the spiritual kingdom. The Pharisees were interested in keeping their status quo, the rigid forms of religious law, … Continue reading
If I do many good works, will I go to heaven?
Think about what the question implies. It assumes that because of doing many good works, we’ve put God on the spot; the Creator of the universe is in our debt! We’re saying that He owes us heaven because of all … Continue reading
Posted in Sin and Salvation
Tagged faith, good deeds, good works, Heaven, Jesus Christ, sin
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Is it fair for good people to end up in Hell just because they didn’t receive the salvation of Jesus?
Of course it is fair. Heaven is God’s home. If a person arrived at your doorstep saying they’re a good person, would you let him in to live with you as long as he wanted? Of course not! If you … Continue reading
Posted in Sin and Salvation
Tagged forgiveness, good deeds, good works, hell, salvation, sin
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