Good Works Won’t Save You

James 2:26 states, “For just as the body without the Spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.“ (Some translations substitute deeds instead of works.) The problem is both terms make it sound like we have to do things to earn our justification. But Paul emphasized what Jesus accomplished on the cross is enough. Therefore, I’m convinced the only things Christians can contribute to their ongoing salvation is obedience and heartfelt worship.

To say James opened up a can of theological worms is putting it mildly. The resulting contrary implications have caused churches to literally split apart with each side adamantly defending their particular doctrinal interpretation. Me? I’m with the Reformers on this one.

Calvin wrote, “As soon as justification by faith or works becomes the subject of inquiry, some have immediate recourse to passages which seem to attribute to works some degree of merit in the sight of God; as though justification by works would be fully evinced if they could be proved to be of any value before God. Yet it’s already been clearly demonstrated that the righteousness of works consists only in a perfect observance of the law.” Perfect observance? That’s impossible to achieve.

Augustine clarified, “Let human merit, which was lost by Adam, here be silent, and let the grace of God reign through Jesus Christ. When a man sees that whatever good he has, he has it not from himself, but from his God. He sees that all that’s commended in him proceeds not from his own merits, but from the Divine mercy.” Chrysostom once humorously quipped, “It’s sufficiently meritorious to know that merits are insufficient.”

This is not to imply Christians aren’t to do good deeds. “We mustn’t grow weary in doing good, for in due time we’ll reap if we don’t give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith“ (Galatians 6:9-10). Scripture states our Savior “went around doing good“ (Acts 10:38). Thus, we should strive to do likewise.

God desires that we utilize the talents He bestowed upon us. “We have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it’s service, he must serve; if it’s teaching, he must teach; if it’s exhortation, he must exhort; if it’s contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it’s leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it’s showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness“ (Romans 12:6-8).

Bear in mind we can’t all be Spurgeons or Mother Teresas, but that shouldn’t discourage us from exploiting our unique spiritual gift to the fullest extent. Paul wasn’t a great orator, nor was he charismatic or handsome, but what he wrote in his letters is the work of a genuine literary genius. Still, he always attributed his abilities and inspiration not to himself, but to the Spirit of Christ that lived within him.

He knew, as should every believer, that apart from Jesus “we can do nothing“ (John 15:5); that God “chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world“ (Ephesians 1:4); that He “delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son He loves“ (Colossians 1:13) who’s “given us the right to become God’s children“ (John 1:12) and who’s promised us not only “eternal life“ but that we’ll “never perish“ because “no one will snatch them from my hand“ (John 10:28).

Yet billions of unbelievers are positive they’ll stroll into heaven when they die because they’ve led such kind, generous and compassionate lives. They’ve done lots of “good works” they’re convinced will surely merit God’s favor. Sadly, they’re fooling themselves. Calvin wrote, “I don’t know what good works of morality have been invented to render men acceptable to God before they’re grafted into Christ. As though the Scripture was false in asserting that ‘he who hasn’t the Son of God has not life‘ (1 John 5:12).”

He added, “If they’re destitute of life, how could they generate any cause of life? As though there’s no truth in the declaration that ‘whatsoever is not of faith is sin!‘ (Romans 14:23); as though an evil tree could produce good fruits!” What many fail to recognize in the “deed verses” of James chapter 2 is the fundamental truth that anything we do that isn’t the resulting product of becoming “born from above“ (John 3:3) doesn’t impress God in the least.

As quoted earlier, the Bible proclaims Jesus “went around doing good.” For a long time, though, I was baffled by the way our Lord answered the rich young ruler who asked Him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?“ Jesus responded with, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone“ (Luke 18:18-19). It kind of sounds like Christ was denying His unblemished goodness. And if His works weren’t good, how can ours ever be considered worthy of our calling to be His obedient, diligent and grateful slaves?

Many explanations have been offered over the centuries but the one that makes the most sense to me is that Jesus was gently informing the man (whom He knew was overly proud of his own “religiosity”) that he was oblivious to the fact he was addressing not just some “good teacher” but the holy and righteous God of the universe. And, because Christ’s “time had not yet come“ (John 7:6), He intentionally avoided revealing His Divinity publicly and further stirring up the animosity of the Sanhedrin.

Dallas Willard wrote, “If our lives and works are to be of the kingdom of God, we mustn’t have human approval as a primary aim. We must lovingly allow people to think whatever they will. We may occasionally try to help them appreciate what we’re doing. That could be an act of love. But we can only serve them by serving the Lord only.”

Privileged to Serve our Master

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time“ (1 Peter 1:3-5).

If you’re a follower of Jesus that statement is, indeed, “good news.” It’s a promise that should make all Christians want to faithfully serve their Master in everything we do. No one will ever give us more than what our Heavenly Father has given those who love Him. Calvin described God’s merciful gift of grace eloquently:

“Our imperfections and impurities, being concealed by His purity, are not imputed to us, but are buried and prevented from appearing in the view of Divine justice till the advent of that hour when the old man being slain and utterly annihilated in us, will receive us into a blessed peace with the new Adam, in that state to wait for the day of the Lord, when we’ll receive incorruptible bodies, and be translated to the glories of the celestial kingdom.”

This may shock some, but the truth is believers have been purchased. Biblically speaking, we’re literally Christ’s slaves. In the Old Testament alone the Hebrew word for slave, ‘ebed, appears 799 times as a noun and 290 times as a verb. Being a slave in the ancient world was no disgrace. It was common. But due to the stigma the term carries in today’s culture, most modern translations of the Bible have replaced it with the less offensive word, servant. Yet to be owned by the Son of God is a blessing beyond measure.

John MacArthur wrote, “Jesus used slave language to define the reality of what it means to follow Him. Discipleship, like slavery, entails a life of total self-denial, a humble disposition toward others, a wholehearted devotion to the Master alone, a willingness to obey His commands in everything, an eagerness to serve Him even in His absence, and a motivation that comes from knowing He’s well pleased.”

Therefore, gladly serving God should be our highest priority. J.I. Packer wrote, “God is who you love, seek, worship, serve, and allow to control you. To have your Maker and Savior as your God in preference to any other object of devotion means you live for Him in faithful and loyal obedience. The attitude of devoted loyalty to God, expressed in worship and service according to His Word, is that fear of the Lord (reverence, not panic!) which the Bible sees as the essence of wisdom.”

To be enslaved by another human being is despicable while to be a slave of Christ is the ultimate honor. And, being our Lord and Master, our Savior expects us to do exactly what He’s ordered us to do. He taught, “When you’ve done everything you were commanded to do, you should say, ‘We’re slaves undeserving of special praise; we’ve only done what was our duty‘“ (Luke 17:10). Yet each of us knows perfect obedience is beyond our ability to achieve so to boast of being a “dutiful servant” is absurd.

I’ve written many times about the folly of bragging about anything before God, least of all any ridiculous notion of having any righteousness of our own. Calvin wrote, “The Scripture everywhere proclaims that the efficient cause of eternal life being procured for us was the mercy of our Heavenly Father and His gratuitous love toward us; that the material cause is Christ and His obedience, by which He obtained a righteousness for us.”

Secularists find the very idea of Christ’s righteousness being counted as our righteousness (because He willingly suffered the excruciating punishment our sins deserve) illogical and downright nonsensical. However, the Holy Word says of their skepticism, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I’ll destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I’ll thwart the cleverness of the intelligent’“ (1 Corinthians 1:18-19).

Spurgeon preached: “The doctrine of atonement is to my mind one of the surest proofs of the divine inspiration of Holy Scripture. Who would or could have thought of the just ruler dying for the unjust rebel? This is no teaching of human mythology or dream of poetical imagination. This method of expiation is only known among men because it’s a fact; fiction could not have devised it. God Himself ordained it; it’s not a matter that could’ve been imagined.”

Getting back to the controversial “slave” issue, as Bob Dylan sang, “It may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” Many people consider themselves “free agents” in this universe but that’s an illusion. One belongs to Satan or Jesus. However, to be the property of Christ is to be owned by the most gracious, loving, generous, forgiving friend conceivable and, accordingly, it’s an absolute joy to serve Him.

Augustine humbly wrote, “I don’t say to the Lord, ‘Despise not the works of my hands.’ I’ve sought the Lord with my hands, and I haven’t been deceived. But I commend not the works of my hands; for I fear that when You’ve examined them, You’ll find more sin than merit. This only I say, this I ask, this I desire; ‘Despise not the works of Your hands. Behold in me Your work, not mine. For if You behold mine, You condemn me; if you behold Your own, You crown me. Because whatever good works I have, they are from You.'”

MacArthur concluded, “If we’re to fully appreciate what it means to follow Christ, we must embrace the life-changing implications of this vital concept – to be a Christian is to be a slave of Christ.”

The Only Righteousness That Counts

Due to our innate pride, we tend to gauge the quality of our “good works” by human standards. What we fail to realize is how anemic they’ll look when we stand before God in His courtroom and present them as evidence of our “worthiness.” Exposed to the light of His glorious majesty we’ll see them for what they truly are – counterfeits.

Calvin wrote, “Let us place the celestial Judge before our eyes, not according to the spontaneous imaginations of our minds, but according to the descriptions given of Him in the Scripture; which represents Him as one whose brilliance eclipses the stars, whose power melts the mountains, whose anger shakes the earth, whose purity makes all things appear polluted, whose righteousness even the angels are unable to bear, who acquits not the guilty, whose vengeance, once kindled, penetrates even to the abyss of hell.”

We need to come to grips with Whom we’ll be facing on Judgment Day. Isaiah didn’t suppress the truth about our need to acquire and nurture a healthy fear of God. “Sinners are afraid… Panic grips the godless. They say, ‘Who among us can coexist with destructive fire? Who among us can coexist with unquenchable fire?’“ (Isaiah 33:14). None can without Christ’s righteousness.

Yes, Jesus taught us our Heavenly Father is loving, forgiving and merciful. He is, indeed. But He’s also just. Contemplating His perfect holiness and contrasting it with our lack of it is downright terrifying so we’re prone to underestimate how appalling and abhorrent our sins are to Him, i.e., how much He hates them. “From the deep water I cry out to you, O LORD. O Lord, listen to me! Pay attention to my plea for mercy! If You, O LORD, were to keep track of sins, O Lord, who could stand before you?“ (Psalm 130:3).

Only a fool will ignore their coming court date. “Is a mortal man righteous before God? Or a man pure before his Creator? If God puts no trust in His servants and attributes folly to His angels, how much more to those who live in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like a moth? They perish forever…” (Job 4:17-20) and “If God places no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens aren’t pure in His eyes, how much less man, who’s abominable and corrupt, who drinks in evil like water?“ (Job 15:15-16).

I’m not trying to steal your joy or rain on your parade. I’m pointing out the danger of clothing ourselves with righteousness when the fact is we have none of our own. Any righteousness we’ll bring before God has been imputed to us due to what was accomplished by Jesus on our behalf on the cross. Only His righteousness will count.

Augustine wrote, “The only hope of all the pious who groan under this burden of corruptible flesh, and amidst the infirmities of this life, is that we have a Mediator, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins.”

St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote, “Where can be found safe and solid rest and security for the weak, but in the wounds of the Savior? There I dwell with the greater security, in proportion to His power to save. The world rages, the body oppresses, the devil lies in wait to destroy. I don’t fall because my foundation is on a firm rock. I’ve committed heinous sin. My conscience is disturbed, but I won’t fall into despair because I’ll remember the wounds of the Lord.”

I’m not saying we’re to loathe ourselves. On the contrary, Jesus commands us to “Love your neighbor as yourself“ (Mark 12:31). Bear in mind any love we have for ourselves should be centered on Jesus, the gracious One who dwells within us and for no other reason. Paul wrote, “I’ve been crucified with Christ, and it’s no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me“ (Galatians 2:20). The Bible makes it clear: “We love because He loved us first“ (1 John 4:19).

In today’s culture humility is considered weakness. If an athlete dares to openly attribute their success to the glory of God, the media will do all it can to hide that portion of the interview from the public. Displays of Christian humility don’t fit their secular agenda. However, no character trait pleases God more.

“For this is what the high and exalted One says, the One who rules forever, whose name is holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones’“ (Isaiah 57:15).

Calvin wrote, “By the contrition so frequently mentioned, we must understand a wounded heart which prevents a man from rising when humbled in the dust. With such contrition must our heart be wounded, if we desire, according to the declaration of the Lord, to be exalted with the humble. If this is not the case, we’ll be abased by the powerful hand of God to our shame and disgrace.”

In His parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector Jesus highlighted humility’s value. The Pharisee congratulated himself on his “goodness”, announcing: “God, I thank you that I’m not like other people: extortionists, the unrighteous, adulterers – or even like this tax collector.“ Whereas the despised publican humbly cried out, “God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!“ Christ said only the tax collector “went home justified“ (Luke 18:11-14).

Calvin concluded, “It’s necessary for us to reject all confidence in ourselves in order that, being freed from every encumbrance, we may run to Christ destitute and hungry to be filled with His blessings. We’ll never have sufficient confidence in Him unless we entirely lose all confidence in ourselves. We’ll never find sufficient encouragement in Him unless we’re previously dejected in ourselves. We’ll never enjoy sufficient consolation in Him unless we’re utterly disconsolate in ourselves.”

“The fear of the LORD provides wise instruction, and before honor comes humility“ (Proverbs 15:33). Those who kneel before Him God rewards with confidence and assurance. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up“ (James 4:10).

Justification Through Faith

Having faith in the Bible won’t save you. Only faith in Jesus will. But, since faith is what we must have for eternal life, it behooves us to search the Scriptures diligently to learn all we can concerning it. As we investigate faith, we quickly learn faith and justification go hand in hand. That’s vitally important because only those justified can enter heaven’s gate.

Regarding justification Calvin wrote, “He’s said to be justified in the sight of God who, in the Divine judgment, is reputed righteous, and accepted on account of it. For since iniquity is abominable to God, no sinner can find favor in His sight so long as he’s considered as such. Wherever sin is, it’s accompanied with the wrath and vengeance of God. He is justified who’s considered not a sinner, but a righteous person, and on that account stands in safety before the tribunal of God, where all sinners are confounded and ruined.”

God’s Holy Word states repeatedly that faith and justification are inseparable. For example, “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the heathen through faith“ (Galatians 3:8) and that God “justifies the ungodly who believe in Jesus“ (Romans 3:26). On judgment day Jesus will defend His own. “Who’ll bring any charge against God’s elect? It’s God who justifies. Who’s the one who’ll condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, He was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us“ (Romans 8:33-34).

Calvin wrote, “Since God, therefore, justifies us through the mediation of Christ, He acquits us, not by an admission of our personal innocence, but by an imputation of righteousness; so that we, who are unrighteous in ourselves, are considered righteous in Christ.” Really? Can this be true?

Yes, due to God’s covenantal vow. “We proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, that this promise God has been fulfilled to us, their children, by raising Jesus…” (Acts 13:23-33). Why? “He did this by predestinating us to adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of His will – to the praise of the glory of His grace that He’s freely bestowed on us in His dearly loved Son“ (Ephesians 1:5-6).

“If anyone is in Christ, he’s a new creation; what’s old has passed away – look, what’s new has come! All these things are from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and who’s given us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and He’s given us the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).

How incredibly gracious and merciful God is to make attaining redemption, justification and salvation so uncomplicated! “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness“ (1 John 1:9). Pause for a moment. Let that sink in. Jesus opened the door to paradise that we could never have opened. “We’re made righteous by the obedience of Christ“ (Romans 5:19).

Sin-wise, I’m no different from Paul. I humbly and shamefully admit that I “don’t do what I want – instead, I do what I hate… For I know nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I can’t do it. For I don’t do the good I want, but I do the very evil I don’t want!“ (Romans 7:15,17-19). I’m so far from being righteous it’s disgraceful. I’m still a mess. What’s up with that?

Calvin wrote, “Since it’s sufficiently known from experience that some relics of sin always remain in the righteous, the manner of their justification must of necessity be very different from that of their renovation to newness of life. For the latter God commences in His elect, and as long as they live carries it on gradually, and sometimes slowly, so that they’re always obnoxious at His tribunal to the sentence of death. He justifies them, however, not in a partial manner, but so completely that they may boldly appear in heaven, as being invested with the purity of Christ.”

Amazing. In other words, it’s not my righteousness that justifies me before God, but the sublime, pristine righteousness of my Savior. Like Paul, “I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I’ve suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung! – that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness“ (Philippians 3:8-9).

Therefore, no Christian has anything whatsoever to brag about. We all fall woefully short of God’s glory. As Augustine wrote, “The righteousness of the saints, in this world, consists rather in the remission of their sins than in the perfection of their virtues.”

Spurgeon pleaded, “Get yourself firmly to believe that “the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin“ (1 John 1:7); that His sacrifice is complete and fully accepted of God on man’s behalf, so that whoever believes on Jesus is not condemned. Believe these truths as you believe any other statements… Believe the witness of God just as you believe the testimony of your own father or friend.”

In the Celebrate Recovery ministry we never withhold the hard truth that developing patience is necessary as the Holy Spirit renovates one’s heart. He rarely heals instantly. Lewis B. Smedes wrote, “Half our struggle in growing up is coming to terms with the real reason we have (and often hide) for doing the things we do. The same is true in our spiritual growth. It takes time and it takes growth to uncover the real reason we have, even for the basics – being a believer, for instance. Our hearts have reasons our heads are too superficial to know – at first.”

R.C. Sproul summed up justification well: “God doesn’t declare the sinner just because the sinner, considered in himself, is just. No, God deems him just because of what’s added to his account, the merit of the righteousness of Christ.”

Watered Down Christianity

Seems every time I open Microsoft Edge, I see headlines like “Why are Millennials abandoning the church?” or “Polls show Christianity on the decline.” Most of the articles insist the Bible Christians depend on for guidance is woefully out of date, that its doctrines are too rigid and downright unrealistic. They warn we either water down and “modernize” the Gospel message or Christianity’s doomed.

Obviously, the writers of these articles know nothing about the history of the Church. It’s been declared passe in every century since Jesus’ ascension. So, what’s behind the critics’ gloating now? James Stewart wrote, “The greatest drag on Christianity today, the most serious menace to the Church’s mission, isn’t the secularism without, it’s the reduced Christianity within.” Ouch.

Kierkegaard opined it’s due to our presenting, “a vaporized Christianity, a culture consciousness, the dregs of Christianity.” Emil Brunner wrote, “The greatest sin of the Church which causes the greatest distress is that she withholds the Gospel from herself.” Too many pastors preach what they think their congregation prefers hearing. Augustine said, “If you believe what you like in the Gospel and reject what you don’t, it’s not the Gospel you believe, but yourselves.”

Only by trusting in the inerrant Scriptures and making preaching from them the focus of our services will folks be drawn into church. We must emphasize the Good News “…you received and on which you stand, and by which you’re being saved, if you hold firmly to the message“ (1 Corinthians 15:1-2). Shifting sands make for a poor foundation. Only the Rock of Ages can withstand storms of indifference.

We must boldly tell the truth. Stewart wrote, “Either in Christ God the Creator and Redeemer came into human life, or else the Gospels are the record of a lie. Either the Pauline experience of being risen with Christ is the most stupendous and practical of all realities, or else the whole makeup of our religion is sophistry and sham. Either this present generation can be baptized into the very life of God, or else Jesus spoke falsely.”

Understand that widespread Christianity won’t produce “world peace.” Jesus said, “I’ve come to bring fire on the earth – and how I wish it were already kindled! …Do you think I’ve come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!“ (Luke 12:49,51). Never forget the Gospel message is revolutionary, that it goes against the grain of how our sinful human nature urges us to think and behave. It’s cultural TNT.

Convincing people to believe in Jesus isn’t a “means to an end.” Herbert Butterfield commented, “If I say I see nothing likely to touch the present situation of the world except Christianity, I don’t mean it’s the function of religion to save civilization or that Christianity’s a thing to which we resort to rescue a system that’s either decrepit or under the judgment of Heaven. One can’t say such a faith is properly appropriated when it’s adopted with the object of getting society out of a scrape.”

So how do we effectively communicate the Gospel proclamation to the lost and confused masses who desperately need to hear it? The answer is we who believe in Christ must be an integral aspect of the soul-saving message. Stewart opined, “Suppose the first Christians had said, ‘God’s invaded history in power and great glory: that’s sufficient. We can leave the facts to make their own way in the world’ – the Gospel would’ve been stultified. No Christians would’ve been made.”

Nietzsche once remarked, “These Christians must show me they’re redeemed before I’ll believe in their Redeemer.” Followers of Christ won’t impress any unbeliever with their faith if that faith’s only skin deep. We must show ourselves to have surrendered to and are unequivocally dedicated to serving the Jesus our testimony is centered on. Otherwise, our listener will see right through our facade.

But if our overwhelming mindset is like that of the Apostle Paul who confessed, “To me, living is Christ and dying is gain“ (Philippians 1:21), the indwelling Holy Spirit will make Himself known. Stewart explained, “So that every time the message is told, the whole situation is charged with the supernatural, the whole redeeming energy of the eternal is concentrated, Christ Himself is veritably at work, and the Cross and the Resurrection are no longer past events but present realities in which the living God meets men and challenges them to decision.”

Too many of us fear getting tagged as being one of those obsessed “Jesus Freaks.” James Denny opined, “There’s ultimately only one religious difficulty – the difficulty of being religious.” In order to avoid that off-putting label thousands of churches and its pastors have turned Sunday morning sermons into “pep talks” that’ll never rescue a single soul.

Michael Horton wrote in Christless Christianity, “We’re getting dangerously close to the place in American church life where the Bible is mined for ‘relevant’ quotes but is largely irrelevant on its own terms; God is used as a personal resource rather than known, worshiped, and trusted; Jesus Christ is a coach with a good game plan for our victory rather than a Savior who’s already achieved it for us. Where salvation is more a matter of having our ‘best life now’ than being saved from God’s judgment by God Himself; and the Holy Spirit is an electrical outlet we can plug into for the power we need to be all that we can be.”

In other words, if folks only hear TED talks in church about how to increase their self-esteem (something they can acquire by ordering motivational books from Amazon) it should be no surprise that attendance is way, way down. Who can blame them for sleeping in on their day off?

Yet they’re the ones we must reach with the Gospel truth. Judgment day approaches. Jesus said, “A time is coming – and now is here – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers“ (John 4:23).

The Perseverance of the Saints

It’s an enormous stretch for to me to think I’m a “saint.” Yet the Bible says I am. For example, Paul wrote, “To all those loved by God in Rome, called to be saints; Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!“ (Romans 1:7) and “To those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord…” (1 Corinthians 1:2).

As if that humbling designation isn’t enough, Peter spoke of our glorious, eternal home with our Lord that’s “reserved in heaven for you, who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time“ (1 Peter 1:4-5).

Irrevocable salvation is truly an unmerited blessing. R.C. Sproul wrote, “More accurate than perseverance is preservation. We persevere because we’re preserved by God. If left to our own strength, none of us would persevere. Only because we’re preserved by grace are we able to persevere at all.”

It’s an assurance confirmed by our good shepherd, Jesus. “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who’s given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one“ (John 10:27-30).

In other words, if you belong to Christ you’ll belong to Him forever. “You are not your own; you were bought at a price“ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Never forget that your soul’s redemption was expensive. A steeper price has never been paid. Therefore, the saying “Once saved, always saved” is true. John MacArthur commented, “We did nothing to earn our adoption into God’s family, and we can do nothing to lose it either.”

However, some insist Hebrews 6:4-6 proves a Christian can forfeit their salvation. “For it’s impossible in the case of those who’ve once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they’re crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding Him up to contempt.” The word “if” is the qualifier.

Understand, there’s a difference between falling away and falling. That verse doesn’t say if a believer stumbles and commits a sin they can’t repent, be forgiven and welcomed back into the fold. “Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again“ (Proverbs 24:16). The Bible is full of saints who failed to remain sinless. Abraham, Noah, and David (just to name a few) all fell short. But to fall isn’t to fall away. If a single sin could negate a believer’s redemption, we’d all be doomed.

Spurgeon preached, “What is falling away? Well, there never has been a case of it yet, and therefore I can’t describe it from observation. I’ll tell you what I suppose it is. To fall away would be for the Holy Spirit entirely to go out of a man and for his grace entirely to cease. That is, to fall away wouldn’t mean to lie dormant, but to cease to be, so that God who’d begun a good work would leave off doing it entirely, take His hand completely away, and say, ‘There! I’ve half saved you; now I’ll damn you.’ That’s what falling away is.”

He continued, “It’s not to sin temporarily. A child may sin against his father and still be alive. Falling away is like cutting the child’s head off clean… Falling away would involve God’s grace changing its living nature, God’s immutability becoming variable, God’s faithfulness becoming changeable, and God Himself being undeified. Falling away would necessitate all these things.”

Only pretend Christians – those lacking the indwelling Holy Spirit – can fall away. For they were never part of Jesus’ herd in the first place. John referred to them when he wrote, “They went out from us, but they didn’t really belong to us, because if they’d belonged to us, they would’ve remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us“ (1 John 2:19).

The elect can’t fall from grace. Thank the Lord.

John Murray said of perseverance, “Have we not in this truth new reason to marvel at the grace of God and the immutability of His love? It’s the indissolubility of the bond of the covenant of God’s grace that undergirds this precious article of faith.”

God vowed to His adopted children: “‘Even if the mountains are removed and the hills displaced, my devotion will not be removed from you, nor will my covenant of friendship be displaced,’ says the LORD, the one who has compassion on you“ (Isaiah 54:10).

Thomas Watson wrote, “Though a Christian has but little grace to trade with, yet he need not fear breaking, because God not only gives him a stock of grace, but will keep his stock for him. Fear not falling away. If anything should hinder the saints’ perseverance, it must be either sin or temptation: but neither of these can.” Augustine opined, “Grace may be shaken with fears and doubts, but it can’t be plucked up by the roots.”

So, the critical question every believer should ask is, “God’s Word says I’m a saint. Do I act like one?” Jesus warned, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven“ (Matthew 7:21).

In the Celebrate Recovery ministry we have a saying – “The only thing worse than suffering a relapse is letting it stop you from getting back up and continuing onward.” I fall. A lot. But my Savior reaches down and pulls me to my feet. Every time. Why? Because I belong to Him.

Our Tender Savior

Born-again people immediately discover how irresistibly lovable Jesus is.  In the early chapters of Augustine’s compelling Confessions, in which he chronicles his search for God and meaning, he repeatedly mentions Christ’s delightful “sweetness.”  While I rarely use that term in reference to my Lord, it certainly isn’t inappropriate.  No one’s heart is as sweet and tender as our Savior’s.

In reading the Bible and books by great theologians, I sometimes get so caught up in admiring Jesus’ power, sovereignty, omniscience, etc. that I often need to be reminded of His alluring graciousness.  When I contemplate Christ’s hours of agony on the cross in order to redeem my wicked soul I can’t help but love Him even more.

Sweetness is something we all savor.  Indeed, the Bible invites us to “Taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8).  Ian Hamilton wrote, “The gospel doesn’t come only to transform our minds and reform our lives; it comes to implant within us godly affections.”  By centering our love on God – love’s pure source – we’re better able to “love each other deeply.” Our ongoing sanctification is grounded in love, “because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

The Scriptures state: “God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in Him” and “We love because He loved us first” (1 John 4:16,19).  The latter verse is genuinely astounding.  The sinful nature I was born with contained no affection for God whatsoever.  Yet, He loved me eons before I even gave Him a passing thought.

Believers must comprehend that our Heavenly Father doesn’t love His elect because His Son died for us.  On the contrary, His Son died for us because our Father first loved us with an overwhelming, compassionate love far beyond our understanding.

Shortly after I rededicated my life to following and learning more about Jesus, an acquaintance sent me a copy of Brennan Manning’s wonderful The Ragamuffin Gospel and it impacted my faith greatly, as it has others’.  Michael W. Smith confessed, “The first time I sat down with the book, I devoured it.  I discovered how little I had to do to deserve and receive the love of God and that He loved me more than I’d ever imagined.  Suddenly, instead of fearing and denying all of my real or imagined shortcomings, I could embrace my humanness.  I could see God pursuing me through it and in spite of it.”

Don’t get the wrong impression.  Brennan didn’t advocate that Christians “should sin because we’re not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:15).  No way.  God’s adoption causes us to hate sin with a fervent passion because we realize it’s a disgraceful affront to the One who saved us from the devil’s grip.  Manning, a former priest who struggled with alcoholism for decades, helped me to more fully wrap my tiny brain around the gospel’s fundamental message that I’ve been rescued solely by God’s grace and that Jesus is the only hope for sinners like him, me, and you.

“Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth.  ‘Follow me,’ He said to him.  And he got up and followed Him.  As Jesus was having a meal in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Jesus and His disciples.  When the Pharisees saw this they said to His disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’  When Jesus heard this He said, ‘Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.  Go and learn what this saying means: “I want mercy and not sacrifice.”  For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners’” (Matthew 9:9-13).

Brennan commented, “Jesus, who forgave the sins of the paralytic (thereby claiming divine power), proclaims He’s invited sinners and not the self-righteous to His table.  The Greek verb used here, kalein, has the sense of inviting an honored guest to dinner.  In effect, Jesus says the kingdom of God isn’t a place for the self-righteous, nor for those who feel they possess the state secret of salvation.  No, it’s for a larger, homelier, less self-conscious caste of people who understand they’re sinners because they’ve experienced the yaw and pitch of moral struggle.”

Manning (along with the Bible) assures me my Savior is kinder, more sympathetic, and welcoming to me, a habitual indulger of iniquity than I will ever deserve.  Is Christ a king?  Yes.  Does He rule over the universe He created?  Yes.  Is He the ultimate Judge of everyone?  Yes.  But He’s no cruel tyrant.  Rather, He’s my most loyal friend, my indefatigable advocate, and my protecting shepherd who’s more than earned my devotion, dedication, and unconditional love.

A while ago one of my minister brothers in Christ gave me a book by Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly – The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers.  Like Manning, Ortlund emphasizes our Lord’s tenderness.  As he expressed in his introduction, “It’s one thing to know the doctrines of the incarnation and the atonement and a hundred other vital doctrines.  It’s another, more searching matter to know [Jesus’] heart for you.”

I have yet to recommend either book to someone who reported back that its beautiful observations didn’t comfort them.  They’re that good.  When Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I’ll give you rest.  Take my yoke on you and learn from Me, because I’m gentle and humble in heart, and you’ll find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29), He meant it.

Ortlund wrote, “You don’t need to unburden or collect yourself and then come to Jesus.  Your very burden is what qualifies you to come.”  Christ announced, “Everyone whom the Father gives Me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I’ll never send away” (John 6:37).  He’s our love-filled, relentlessly tender-hearted Lamb of God whom we can trust in and depend on without reservation.  Have you ever heard greater, more glorious news than that?

Free Will

Few things offend people more than being told their will isn’t utterly free; that they aren’t autonomous beings who, at any conscious moment, independently decide what to think or do.  That’s because from infancy we assume we have an inborn right to arbitrarily choose how we act and/or react in any situation and nothing in nature indicates otherwise.

And, even though the Bible asserts election and predestination are realities, the issue of free will has been argued in Christian circles since the beginning.  (I do want to emphasize that your viewpoint on the subject has no bearing on whether or not you’ll go to heaven.  Only by believing in your heart that Jesus is your Lord and Savior can you gain eternal life in paradise.)

Augustine was the most significant Christian theologian after Peter and Paul.  His writings expressed what was generally accepted in the early church – God’s sovereignty over His creation is absolute.  Then, in 411, a monk named Pelagius stirred up controversy by insisting people must voluntarily choose to believe in Christ, despite Jesus declaring to His followers, “You didn’t choose me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16).

Adolph Harnack opined Pelagius was “roused to anger by an inert Christendom that excused itself by pleading the frailty of the flesh and the impossibility of fulfilling the grievous commandments of God; preaching that God commanded nothing impossible, that man possessed the power of doing the good if only he willed it…”

The church excommunicated Pelagius in 418.  But over a millennium later, in 1524, a scholar named Desiderius Erasmus wrote a short book entitled Discussion Concerning Free Will intended to refute the reformation teachings of Martin Luther.  His “semi-Pelagian” attitude maintained that salvation was achieved via mutual cooperation between God and man.

In response, Luther published his landmark book, The Bondage of the Will, wherein he labeled the matter “the hinge on which all turns.”  Ian Hamilton encapsulated Luther’s reasoning thusly: “If our wills are not totally in bondage, if there’s any residue of essential goodness in any man or woman enabling them to will the good, then salvation isn’t of the Lord.  The Bible couldn’t be clearer: salvation is wholly the work of God, the result of His grace to us in Christ.”  Ephesians 2:8 states, “By grace you’re saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it’s the gift of God…”

What ensued was a split between Catholics and Protestants that drastically altered church history.  Enter James Arminius in the late 1500s who advocated a compromised perspective, writing, “All unregenerate persons have freedom of will, and a capability of resisting the Holy Spirit, of rejecting the proffered grace of God and of not opening to Him who knocks at the door of the heart.”

Of course, this flew in the face of the Calvinistic tenet that insists God’s grace is irresistible; that if you’re one of God’s elect then you’ll be inexorably drawn to and transformed by the gospel message, fully accepting it as the truth after hearing it preached. No exceptions.  Paul wrote, “…It’s God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

About that verse, Calvin commented, “The first part of a good work is the will, the second is vigorous effort in the doing of it.  God is the author of both.  It is, therefore, robbery from God to arrogate anything to ourselves, either in the will or the act.”

I enjoy reading books by Christian authors.  One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that there are lots of Arminian-minded believers in this world.  For example, inside Randy Alcorn’s excellent tome, Heaven, I came across this passage: “It seems to me that the capacity to choose is part of what makes us human.  It’s hard to believe God would be pleased by our worship if we had no choice but to offer it.”

The revealing phrase is “it seems to me.”  When it comes to God Almighty who are we to place any restrictions on how He thinks, what He’s decreed, or what He deems good?  Remember, though, claiming one’s will is free isn’t sinful.  It’s just incorrect.  Who created your will?  God did.  He bestowed to each of us the unique will we possess.

David wrote of God, “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I’m fearfully and wonderfully made…  All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:13-14,16).  I accept Scripture as inerrant truth. I must conclude that my mind, heart, and will were all created by God.

Therefore, the choices I’ve made in my life were preordained because God personally designed and installed the reasoning impetus that determines my preferences.  Does that make me a robot?  Hardly.  I’ve never sensed I did or thought something because some kind of supernatural “force” compelled me.  When confronted with options, our one-of-a-kind, God-given will always chooses what’s most desirable or least undesirable to us.

R.C. Sproul opined, “If history is affected at all by the decisions of men and if God’s knowledge doesn’t include future human decisions, how can God know anything about the future of world history?  How can we find any comfort in the future God’s promised for His people if that future destiny rests in the hands of men?”

Sproul added, “[This subject] isn’t to be confused with the blind determination of ‘fate’ or the mechanical physical forces.  This is the determination of an omnipotent and holy being, who’s determined to bring about the salvation of His elect.  God is determined to accomplish His plan, and by His determinate counsel that’s exactly what He does.”

Understand that “The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It’s incurably bad.” (Jeremiah 17:9).  I’ve proven that to myself repeatedly.  Given my predilection for sinning, I never would’ve chosen to surrender to Christ.  It had to have been God’s will that I did. I’m forever thankful.

Trust and Obey

Paul begins and ends the book of Romans expressing that it’s our belief in Jesus Christ that’ll “…bring about the obedience of faith” (1:5 & 16:26).  Therefore knowing what the obedience of faith entails is important.  Ian Hamilton wrote, “Faith in Jesus Christ initiates a believer into a life of obedience to Jesus Christ,” then adds the caveat, “Where there’s no heart obedience to Christ, there can be no saving faith in Christ.”

Jesus didn’t beat around the bush.  He said, “If you love me, you’ll obey my commandments” (John 14:15).  There are two things to understand: (1) Genuine love for Christ can only come from a heart regenerated by the Holy Spirit and (2) obeying His commandments isn’t easy.  The bar He set is high and the path is narrow.  However, not everyone wants to obey Him. Usually, because they have no trust in Him.

About trusting in Christ the Bible is candid: “I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and priceless cornerstone, and whoever believes in Him will never be put to shame.  So you who believe see His value, but for those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stumbling-stone and a rock to trip over.  They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do” (1 Peter 2:6-8).

Again we see the Scriptures affirming that God predestined some to be “children of light” and some to be “children of darkness.”  And only God knows the difference.  All we have any right to determine (through observing a professed Christian’s actions) is if they consistently obey Jesus’ commandments.

Concerning the essential “trust-in-Jesus-factor,” it’s firmly established in the Bible.  Christ is confirmed as being our divine priest, prophet, and king.  In the role of priest, He atoned for all our sins and “is the One who died (and more than that, He was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us” (Romans 8:34).  Jesus is our strong defender, protector, and only hope for salvation.

As our prophet, He’s given to mankind all the spiritual knowledge sufficient to trust and obey Him.  Christ is “The Word.”  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God.  The Word was with God in the beginning.  All things were created by Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind” (John 1:1-4).  (I shared those verses with an unbeliever recently.  He called them “nonsense.”  Sadly, he’s spiritually blind and cannot see.)

As our king, Jesus reigns over the universe He created.  And the souls the Father gave Him belong to Him.  “Do you not know your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who’s in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  That steep price was paid in Christ’s precious blood.

Thus, He’s our priest, prophet, and king.  No more titles are required for Jesus to merit and receive our unwavering trust and obedience.  Because of His selfless sacrifice we owe Him no less than our all-encompassing “believing obedience.”  John MacArthur wrote, “When we call ourselves Christians, we proclaim to the world that everything about us, including our very self-identity, is found in Jesus Christ because we’ve denied ourselves in order to follow and obey Him.  He’s both our Savior and our Sovereign, and our lives center on pleasing Him.”

There are two kinds of believing obedience to be cognizant of: legal and evangelical.  The former is fostered by a yearning to earn extra credit with God and it manifests out of a fearful heart, not a loving one.  Hamilton commented, “It’s duteous without being truly dutiful.”  The latter’s fueled by a transformed heart overflowing with gratitude and Christ-like love.

Humans have proved throughout history that we’re not instinctively inclined to be obedient creatures.  Only the indwelling Holy Spirit can change us into people who desire to obey Jesus’ commands.  “Now by this we know we’ve come to know God: if we keep His commandments.  The one who says, ‘I’ve come to know God’ and yet doesn’t keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him” (1 John 2:3-5).  Our faith is proven genuine by our obedience.

Charles Spurgeon preached, “True love shows itself in obedience.  If I love Jesus, I’ll do as He bids me.  This is His chosen proof of my love, and I’m sure, if I love Him, I’ll keep His commandments.  …We can do anything for those we love, and if we love Jesus, no burden will be heavy, no difficulty will be great.”

John Calvin wrote, “The Lord, in delivering a perfect rule of righteousness, has reduced it in all its parts to His mere will, and in this way has shown there’s nothing more acceptable to Him than obedience.”  Augustine opined that obedience is “the source of all virtues.”

I used to think I had to summon the will to obey Christ of my own volition.  Jerry Bridges, in The Discipline of Grace, confessed, “I knew nothing of God’s grace in enabling me to live the Christian life.  I thought it was all by sheer grit and willpower.  …Just as importantly, I understood little of His forgiving grace through the blood of Christ.  So I felt both guilty and helpless – guilty because of recurring sin patterns in my life and helpless to do anything about them.”  I could relate.

Memorize these words from Jesus: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  Nothing! Now, I always knew I couldn’t redeem myself.  Yet I mistakenly thought generating repentance, trust, and obedience were solely my responsibility.  But the Bible teaches otherwise.  I’ve learned to pray daily for the wherewithal to become more repentant, trusting, and obedient for, as the Psalmist wrote, “My help comes from the LORD” (121:2).

God’s Sovereignty and Our Responsibility, Pt. 2

Picking up from where I left off last time, I present question #3: If God is absolute goodness, why’s it deemed “good” He predestines men to commit sins, then not only holds them accountable but pronounces them guilty for what they did?

As before, if you’re looking for a definitive answer you’ll be disappointed.  God’s providential sovereignty is inherently mysterious.  John Calvin commented, “Let us understand that if the conceptions of our minds be contrasted with the sublimity of the mystery, we’re still halting at the very entrance.”  Me?  I believe God provided everything we’re capable of knowing in His Holy Word.

There we read about Judas Iscariot.  Ancient prophets like Zechariah made it clear he was predestined by God to betray Jesus precisely as he did.  Does that fact let Judas off the hook?  Nope.  Even human law distinguishes between a crime committed inadvertently and one committed with “malice aforethought.”  The latter certainly applied to Judas.  He didn’t sell Jesus out because he felt he was doing God’s will.  He did it because his heart was iniquitous.  He admitted as much, saying “I’ve sinned by betraying innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4).

That the crucifixion was in God’s plan is made obvious in Scripture.  Christ was “…handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23).  But to whom was He handed over?  People who wanted Him executed.  People whose intention was only evil.  God didn’t have to harden their hearts.  They did that on their own.  Augustine wrote, “That men sin proceeds from themselves…”

God didn’t turn Judas from a decent guy into a bad one.  It wasn’t necessary.  Earlier Jesus had announced to His disciples, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?” (John 6:70).  All God did was steer Judas’ cold-hearted ambition in a direction that’d result in God’s will being done.

Last but not least, here’s Question #4:  How can a sinner be required to accept Christ in order to avoid condemnation if God foreordained it impossible for him/her to do so by themselves?

Of course this one reiterates the basic theme of the previous hard-to-answer questions.  So what are we to conclude?  Well, first of all, no one in this world can be cognizant of being a “…vessel of wrath fitted to destruction” (Romans 9:22).  What they can know is they’re a sinner who’s been commanded by God “to repent” (Acts 17:30) and “to believe” (1 John 3:23).  Those two commandments are each individual’s responsibility to obey so as to obtain eternal life.

Secondly, it’s the sinner’s onus to investigate what’s written in God’s Word to discern what’s “…able to make one wise unto salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15).  If a man or woman reads the Bible with a heart that’s sincere in its quest to know God and His will for their life they’ll find God waiting with open arms to adopt them into His family.  Since Bible apps are free, excuses have been rendered moot.

A.W. Pink wrote, “God has been pleased to give men the Holy Scriptures which ‘testify’ of the Savior, and make known the way of salvation.  …If men are commanded to search those Scriptures which are able to make them wise unto salvation, and they refuse to do so, then it’s plain they’re justly condemnable, that their blood lies on their own heads, and that God can righteously cast them into hell.”

Thirdly, we sinners, by nature, love to sin.  It’s factual.  Born corrupted, we can’t help ourselves.  The guilt-laden David admitted to God, “You’re just when you confront me; you’re right when you condemn me” (Psalm 51:4).  Anybody who has the audacity to claim they haven’t sinned is a liar.  Truth is, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

That being the case, what’s our personal responsibility for rectifying our fallen condition?  Simple.  Acknowledge before God our inability to save ourselves, fervently plead for Him to have mercy on us, and accept Christ.  The Bible states, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:17).  The problem is too many folks flat-out refuse to do that.

Pride’s a powerful foe; the enemy of humility.  “The LORD is kind and fair, that’s why He teaches sinners the right way to live.  May He show the humble what’s right!  May He teach the humble His way!” (Psalm 25:8-9).  Jesus wasn’t kidding when He taught, “Blessed are the meek…” (Matthew 5:5).

I’m grateful I’m among God’s elect.  I couldn’t love, worship and follow Christ if I wasn’t.  But that doesn’t mean I’m free to take advantage of God’s grace.  Pink wrote, “An attitude of fatalistic inertia, because I know God has irrevocably decreed whatsoever comes to pass, is to make a sinful and hurtful use of what God has revealed for the comfort of my heart.”

I’m aware to even broach the subject of election is offensive to many.  But, like a rhino in the room, it can’t be ignored.  I’ll rely on Calvin, the great theologian, to summarize: “When depriving those whom He’s reprobated of the communication of His light, God leaves them in blindness.  Every day furnishes instances of the latter case, and many of them are set before us in Scripture.

Among a hundred to whom the same discourse is delivered, twenty, perhaps, receive it with the prompt obedience of faith; the others set no value upon it, or deride, or spurn, or abominate it.  If it’s said this diversity is owing to the malice and perversity of the latter, the answer isn’t satisfactory: for the same wickedness would possess the minds of the former, did not God in His goodness correct it.

And hence we’ll always be entangled until we call in the aid of Paul’s question, ‘What do you have that you didn’t receive?’ (1 Corinthians 4:7), intimating that some excel others, not by their own virtue, but by the mere favor of God.”