Have you ever heard the question: What came first, the chicken or the egg? That can really spark a spiral of questioning. It’s similar to the debate of works or faith, which came up in one of our Bible studies a few weeks ago.
It reminds me of the Galatian churches who were confused by false doctrine. One could say it could be described as the chicken or the egg debacle because some folks were focused on doing “works” (AKA abiding by the law) for salvation, while others focused on Jesus’ death and resurrection for salvation.
Paul squashed this argument by saying: “…no one is justified (declared righteous) by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16). He continued on to elaborate even more asking them, “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh? (3:4). He was saying that we cannot be completed or made righteous by our works in the flesh, rather we can only be made complete by Christ and the Spirit.
Now, before you get worked up about works, let me say this: They are important too. However, our works cannot declare us as righteous or good or sinless. Rather our good works are supposed to glorify God in Heaven. Works come as a result of faith. They’re more about glorifying God though than they are about us. Jesus said, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). They’re supposed to point to God!
So what came first: Faith or works? The real question is - What’s more important: Faith or works? If we’re looking at the Old Testament, works, but with Jesus, faith always comes first. He’s where our salvation rests. Paul wrote: “For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse… Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written: Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed” (Gal. 3:10, 13). Christ took the curse for us and paid our debts up front. Thank God for that!
My friends, if you’re out there believing and trying to work your way to salvation, that’s a lie from the enemy. Your works are important in glorifying God, but your works do not define YOU - Jesus does. So if it’s a matter of is my salvation guaranteed in professing that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, the answer is YES! It’s that easy! Paul wrote, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). That’s it! Let’s lean into that and focus on giving God glory through our good deeds and works this week.
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