Why don’t our works work? . . . God simply won’t allow anyone to make Him a debtor. . . . In other words, God will not permit a man to believe that He owes him salvation in exchange for his rule-keeping. Salvation must be by grace alone–the free gift of God. No matter what kind of rule-keeping you involve yourself in, whether religious ceremonies and rites, or deeds of charity and sacrifice, God cannot be made to owe you salvation in return. Salvation is not God’s obligation; it is His gift. . . . God will never reward the effort you exert to save yourself. He will not let you make the cross a meaningless act. He will not obligate Himself to save you because you do what you believe are good works.
– Jim Elliff
Christ Alone Wyoming 
Some really great work you are doing here. Thanks for sharing and keep it up. May God bless you and keep you strong as you work towards your purpose and move swiftly towards your destination.
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Reblogged this on The Master's Slave.
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Well, I found something on this site I disagree with. 🙂 There’s not been very much….
God is just, and He is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He has obligated Himself to mankind over and over again. If our works could ever be good enough, He WOULD allow Himself to be obligated.
The only reason our works don’t work because they could never be good enough to cancel our sin. They are all as filthy rags, tinged with self-interest, pride, etc. Even if they were perfectly good, all they could do is stand next to our sin and shine the light on how bad it was. If they were good enough, God would be just enough to obligate Himself.
I appreciate the heart of the statement quoted, but parts of it could lead to confusion. There is no arbitrariness, but rather absolute justice, in God’s rejection of works salvation. Our works don’t work because they can never pay sin’s price, and God is just and holy.
A murderer doesn’t escape justice by doing a lot of good works after his crime — he’s still a murderer. It doesn’t matter how many good works I do, I’m still a sinner. The price still has to be paid.
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Quoting Jon Gleason….”Our works don’t work because they can never pay sin’s price, and God is just and holy.” I agree, and would add that ONLY Christ Himself did works that worked. After all, Christ did fulfill the whole Law perfectly. Therefore was not God the Father “obligated” to accept Christ’s works as payment for His elect? If this is so, would it be safe to assert then, that Christ died for God? Hmmm…
Todd
Texas
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Todd, I would say that the Father did indeed “obligate” Himself when He sent His Son. I John 1:9 says He is “just” to forgive. Romans 3:25-26 makes this point as well — Christ became the propitiation for our sins so that God would be the Just Justifier of sinners. The right and just thing for Him to do is to justify. That’s Scripture. Thus, amazingly, it would be wrong for Him not to do so, because it would be rejecting the work He sent His Son to do. Isaiah 53:11 could also apply — the Father is satisfied. The whole concept of redemption, that we have been purchased, points in the same direction. The price of redemption from sin has been paid, and God has to grant deliverance from sin’s slavery and ownership to Himself if He is going to do right. He has bought us, and so He has obligated Himself to take ownership.
Furthermore, those works that work, the righteousness of Christ, is imputed to our account, and thus we (I’m laughing to myself as I write it because it’s so incredible) now have the right to salvation. Not because we HAD any right, but that right has been freely given to us, and God can’t look at Christ’s righteousness which I now bear and say it isn’t good enough. You and I can hold God to His responsibility to save and keep us, because the righteousness that gives us the right to claim His promise has been given to us.
Of course, this obligation He freely took on Himself and delights in. He didn’t have to take it on. All these rights that we now have, all these obligations that God has placed upon Himself, were His free gift to us.
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The only reason our works don’t work because they could never be good enough to cancel our sin. They are all as filthy rags, tinged with self-interest, pride, etc. Even if they were perfectly good, all they could do is stand next to our sin and shine the light on how bad it was. If they were good enough, God would be just enough to obligate Himself.
Amen Amen Amen.
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“It is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” Rom.2:13 The word law in this statement is not referring to the OT written code, rather the word law in this statement is referring to a law that was added to the law after Jesus installiation as the high priest. You miss lead your selves by the false assumption of your conjecture. No person has been nor will be a direct beneficary of the sin of any man’s murder caused by bloodshed.
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