Darell C,
In response to my statement: "Working (ie making an effort) to keep something (so as not to lose it) is not the same thing as earning it (to begin with). For instance, I could receive a vast inheritence from a generous benefactor, which I in no way had any part in earning, yet squander it through poor decisions and reckless behavior."
You had said this:
Okay, I see.
Were saved by grace through faith but the actual keeping of salvation is works.
Not quite. The actual keeping of salvation requires
work, as in active effort on the part of the believer. This will involve:
(1)
actively abiding in Christ (John 15:1-6, etc)--which is demonstrated by
keeping His commandments (1 John 3:24) and is sustained by
eating His flesh and drinking His blood (John 6:56)--so one doesn't get cut off as a branch from the Vine (Christ) and burned (John 15:6);
(2)
continuing to actively
stand by faith in God's goodness (Romans 11:18-22) (so as not to be cut off as the
unbelieving Jews)
(3)
holding fast one's confidence
to the end (Heb 3:6, 14) and
not to depart from the living God in an evil heart of unbelief (3:12)
nor allowing oneself to become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (3:13);
(4)
diligently adding to one's faith: virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5-7), so that one doesn't stumble (v 10), become neither barren nor unfruitful in his knowledge of Christ (v.8), makes one's calling and election sure (v.10) and to finally have an entrance supplied for him into Christ's kingdom (v.11);
etc--the NT abounds with many more examples.
At any rate, Paul the apostle wrote to the Galatians:
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision
avails for anything, but
faith working through love." (Gal 5:6)
And of course, if we love God we will keep His commandments (John 14:15,21,23) and thus abide in His love (John 15:10; 1 John 3:24).
You see Paul would agree with James that a faith without works is dead (James 2:17,26) and cannot avail for salvation (2:
14-26). In fact, Paul wrote to the Romans that
God renders to each according to his deeds (Romans 2:6) including
eternal life to those who
work what is good (Romans 2:7).
This of course agrees with Christ who said that those who have
done good will come forth to the
resurrection of life (and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation) John 5:28-29.
Is it okay if you boast about these works?
Absolutely not. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians:
"
Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who
works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure."
It is only because God "works in" us that we can "work out" our salvation.
Yet, this is still something we must do with "
fear and trembling", and else where Paul wrote that
those who believe in God should be careful to maintain good works (ie this is something that takes effort and not something that happens to us passively or automatically) so that they
may not be unfruitful (Titus 3:8,14).
Likewise, Christ who commanded His disciples to abide so they can bear much fruit said that without Him they can do nothing (John 15:5). It's only in Christ that we can bear fruit, but we are the ones that must abide.
Also, we can only
diligent add to our faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, patient, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5-7) because God's divine power first gave to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3).
