"To Him That WORKETH Not"

[KenH]

“To Him That WORKETH Not” (Romans 4:5)

These 5 words, though frightening to all self-righteous religionists, are words of comfort, encouragement, and peace to every justified, redeemed, regenerated and converted sinner. It is an absolute FACT that God effectively saved ALL HIS ELECT through Christ’s accomplished work of redemption at Calvary - ”Who HATH SAVED (an act ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED) us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”(2 Timothy 1:9) We must not seek to undermine the Holy Spirit’s purpose through the glorious words He moved the Apostle Paul to pen for His children. Robert Haldane wrote on this verse: “This verse means what it literally expresses, namely, that the person who is justified DOES NOT WORK AT ALL for his justification. It is not that he does not perform all the works that he ought, but that for justification HE DOES NOTHING. It is true that he works, BUT NOT FOR JUSTIFICATION.” All one has to do is read the very next phrase in this verse to understand this is EXACTLY the Spirit’s purpose in writing these words for our learning - ”but believeth ON Him (not “in Him”) that justifieth (to DECLARE righteous) THE UNGODLY.” Truly “His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.” God alone was capable and willing to justify (declare legally righteous) ungodly sons and daughters of Adam through the imputation of their sin to His precious Son, as well as through the imputation of His precious Son’s righteousness to their account. He alone could accomplish this glorious feat in a way that glorified and honored every attribute of His character as “a Just God and a Savior”, that honored and exalted the Son as the ONLY SAVIOUR AND REDEEMER of sinners, and excludes all boasting in human flesh. It is in this way that God gets all the glory!

Now God’s redeemed do work, but their works are not the works of slaves driven by a horrible task-master, i.e., the Law - Read Romans chapter 7. Our works are the works of adopted sons and daughters, those compelled by love and devotion to Him “who loved us and gave Himself for us.” “We LOVE Him, BECAUSE He first loved us” - (1 John 4:19) “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourself: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD. Not of works lest any man should boast. For we ARE His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS, which God HATH BEFORE ORDAINED THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.”(Ephesians 2:8-10) Any works produced by any other method or agency are “dead works” and exhibit that sinner to be serving “in oldness of letter”, not “newness of the Spirit.”

- by Pastor Richard Warmack, Grace Baptist Church of Ruston, Louisiana - found at Total Doc Converter (sermonaudio.com)

 

[kyredneck]

It is true that he works, BUT NOT FOR JUSTIFICATION.”

God renders to every man ACCORDING TO his works, NOT because of his works.

5 ...... the righteous judgment of God;
6 who will render to every man according to his works: Ro 2

Our works are the works of adopted sons and daughters, those compelled by love and devotion to Him

Our works come NATURALLY, because of the circumcised heart with the law written upon it that He has equipped us with:

13 for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified:
14 (for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves;
15 in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them); Ro 2

These works come so naturally that we may not even be aware of doing them. Matthew 25:37-39

 

[KenH]

God renders to every man ACCORDING TO his works, NOT because of his works.

5 ...... the righteous judgment of God;
6 who will render to every man according to his works: Ro 2

Yes, the reprobates, not God's elect. God's elect have already been judged in Christ and found not guilty.

 

[kyredneck]

Yes, the reprobates, not God's elect.

No. Both the just and the unjust. We must all come before the judgement seat of Christ.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Yes, the reprobates, not God's elect. God's elect have already been judged in Christ and found not guilty.

Hmmm just remembered a sermon given by a pastor in a Congregational church in Chester NJ. He spent time explaining to the congregation that Jesus died for the elect and were judged in Christ and found not guilty.

Then he does an alter call LOL!

 

[KenH]

No. Both the just and the unjust. We must all come before the judgement seat of Christ.

Nope. I think Augustus Toplady expressed it well in a hymn he wrote:

"From whence this fear and unbelief,
If God, my Father, put to grief
His spotless Son for me?
Can He, the righteous Judge of men,
Condemn me for that debt of sin
Which, Lord, was charged to Thee?

Complete atonement Thou hast made,
And to the utmost farthing paid
Whate’er Thy people owed;
How, then, can wrath on me take place,
If sheltered in God’s righteousness,
And sprinkled by Thy blood?

If Thou hast my discharge procured,
And freely in my place endured
The whole of wrath divine;
Payment God will not twice demand,
First at my bleeding Surety’s hand,
And then again at mine.

Turn then, my soul, unto thy rest;
The merits of thy great High Priest
Speak peace and liberty;
Trust in His efficacious blood,
Nor fear thy banishment from God,
Since Jesus died for thee."

- Augustus Toplady

 

[kyredneck]

Nope. I think Augustus Toplady expressed it well in a hymn he wrote:

No doubt he was a good man, but I'm going with what Paul wrote:

10 For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. 2 Cor 5

Again, note that it's 'according to' and not 'because of' our deeds.

 

[KenH]

No doubt he was a good man, but I'm going with what Paul wrote:

10 For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. 2 Cor 5

Again, note that it's 'according to' and not 'because of' our deeds.

Being nothing more than a worm of a man, I am probably not expressing myself correctly. So, I will rely on Robert Hawker:

"For while all unawakened, unregenerated, and unrenewed men, must stand awfully condemned before God; we are expressly told, that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: for they are passed from death to life, and are freely justified in the grace which is in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:1; 1 John 3:14; Acts of the Apostles 13:39. Sweet thought! God's people are saved now, with an everlasting salvation. Their right, and title, to all Covenant blessings, and mercies, is founded in Christ. So that, as they are justified now, they cannot be condemned then. They must all appear indeed before the judgment seat of Christ; the righteous as well as the wicked: him that feareth God, as well as him that feareth him not. But with very different views. The wicked, the Scripture saith, shall be turned into hell, with all the people that forget God, Psalms 9:17. But the ransomed in Zion are said to return with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads, Isaiah 35:10. They are to have the whole Covenant transactions laid open to their view, and not only their acquittal from all law charges, all demands of justice, and all claims of obligation, proclaimed before a congregated world of men and angels; but their acceptance in Christ, their oneness, and right of union with Christ, most fully established, and confirmed forever, And oh! what inconceivable rapture, will then break in upon the soul, when Christ shall own his Church, his Chosen, his Segullah, as the gift of his Father, the purchase of his blood, and the conquest of his Spirit. When he shall say: Behold I, and the children whom thou past given me! Isaiah 8:18."

- from Robert Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary on 2 Corinthians 5:6-11

 

[kyredneck]

there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus

AMEN! But they're still going to appear before the judgement seat of Christ just as the rest. Everyone, Saint or not, is going to be judged by their works.

 

[KenH]

Everyone, Saint or not, is going to be judged by their works.

No. Only the reprobates will be judged by their works. God's elect plead Christ's perfect works as the Lord their Righteousness.

The reprobates have no righteousness as all they have is filthy rags works. God's elect have the perfection of Christ as their righteousness.

 

[kyredneck]

Only the reprobates will be judged by their works.

Does this sound like a reprobate to you?:

5 but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 who will render to every man according to his works:
7 to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:

This?:

10 but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek:

This?:

13 for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified:
14 (for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves;

This?:

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;
36 naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

God's elect plead Christ's perfect works as the Lord their Righteousness.

You have scripture that says that?

The reprobates have no righteousness as all they have is filthy rags works.

K.

God's elect have the perfection of Christ as their righteousness.

AMEN! But they're still going to appear before the judgement seat of Christ just as the rest. Everyone, saint or not, is going to be judged by their works.

10 For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Cor 5

 

[KenH]

God's elect plead Christ's perfect works as the Lord their Righteousness.

You have scripture that says that?

Isaiah 45:24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.

Now, I am not sure what tack you are taking on this subject of works, but just in case you are going down the path(I am not saying you are, but to save time I am going to go ahead and deal with the idea) that Christians are to have a mercenary attitude toward good works(I really don't understand what those who think that way think they are working for - a larger mansion, a spot closer to the throne?), I will quote from Vincent Cheung's Systematic Theology:

"As Paul writes:

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:12-13)

The Christian is to actively take his part in sanctification, and deliberately pursue a life of obedience to God "in fear and trembling." Nevertheless, the passage explains that even the working out of our salvation is in fact a work of God: "It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Our choices and actions remain under God's control after regeneration. Therefore, although a person is conscious of his efforts and struggles in sanctification, in the end God receives the honor, and the Christian still has no basis to boast of his achievements."

(emphasis mine)

 

[KenH]

God's elect plead Christ's perfect works as the Lord their Righteousness.

You have scripture that says that?

Also, in case you want to see the phrase, "The Lord our Righteousness", it occurs in two verses in Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jeremiah 33:16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

 

[kyredneck]

Isaiah 45:24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.

K. There's NO final judgement passages that mention us pleading Christ's righteousness for our defense. There's not even a mention of our faith, only works. That's why I've postulated that our faith is credited as righteous works at the judgement.

(I am not saying you are, but to save time I am going to go ahead and deal with the idea) that Christians are to have a mercenary attitude toward good works

Egad Ken, did you not even read my first post? Or did you just knee-jerk react to the mere mention of 'works'. That's what most do on here.

From post #2:
"Our works come NATURALLY, because of the circumcised heart with the law written upon it that He has equipped us with:

13 for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified:
14 (for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves;
15 in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them); Ro 2

These works come so naturally that we may not even be aware of doing them. Matthew 25:37-39"

 

[Van]

That's why I've postulated that our faith is credited as righteous works at the judgement.

Our faith for those of use appearing at the Bema Seat of Christ, has been credited as righteous faith. Not a righteous work or righteous works. Abraham's faith was credited as righteousness. Prior to salvation all our works of righteousness are as filthy rags to God, thus righteous works is precluded. It has to faith, as faith is according to grace, and I think everyone accepts salvation is by grace through faith, and not by grace through righteousness on our part.

In the Greek, a single word is used for “judgment seat” in Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10—the word is bema. A bema was a raised platform on which judges sat to view athletic games. Their job was to make sure contestants followed the rules and to present awards to the victors (see 1 Corinthians 9:24–27). The bema was never a place to reprimand the athletes or to punish them in any way. It was a place of testing and reward. In the same way, the bema of Christ will not be a place of condemnation or censure.​

 

[KenH]

That's why I've postulated that our faith is credited as righteous works at the judgement.

No. The finished work of Christ on behalf of God's elect as the Lord our Righteousness is what is imputed(credited) to them.

 

[kyredneck]

No. The finished work of Christ on behalf of God's elect as the Lord our Righteousness is what is imputed(credited) to them.

Ah, forget it Ken. Whether you come to accept it or not, scripture is clear that you're going to appear before the bema seat of Christ.

I've got to prepare for some surveyors coming on site.