Many years ago, my dad was trying to break a young horse. He hitched him to a road cart and went to a neighbor’s house who had a long lane. This lane went downhill, then over a wooden bridge that crossed a goodsized creek, and then up another hill to the house.
All went well until the horse’s feet touched the wooden bridge floor. Suddenly, there was a sound that was new to the horse. Startled, he looked up and to one side. Seeing the water (there were no sides or rails whatsoever on the wooden bridge), he took one great big leap to get away from the water that had scared him. And, guess what? Yes, he ended up in the other ditch! Horse, cart, dad, and all were in the creek. No one was hurt, but I never forgot the lesson learned from this incident.
Some people are like this young horse. They focus so much on the ditch they are trying to steer clear of that they end up in a ditch that is just as bad as the one they were avoiding in the first place. I tell people, “Remember, for every mile of road, there are two miles of ditch.” A ditch is not a good path to travel on.
One of the areas that I have watched people leap from one ditch to another in their spiritual lives is the area concerning grace versus works. Granted, the Amish where I grew up were entirely in the ditch of trying to earn their way to heaven by being a good people, hoping that the good they did would outweigh the bad. I was taught a worksbased salvation.
Thanks to our merciful Father, I was born again and my eyes were opened to the truth of salvation. I realized that a person is saved by grace. God’s grace.
Verses in scripture became alive.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:89).
So, what should I have done with the teaching of works in the spiritual sense? Since works can never save us, they don’t matter. Is this biblical? No, it is not.
One Ditch: To believe our works can save us
The Other Ditch: To believe works don’t matter
NEVER: WORKS FOR SALVATION.
ALWAYS: WORKS BECAUSE OF SALVATION.
A person who has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and is truly born again will have such a grateful heart that good fruits and good works will flow out. Even though I was taught a worksforsalvation gospel, I don’t jump into the ditch on the other side.
Out of a grateful heart for salvation, my goals in life have changed, and changed drastically. I no longer live my life for myself. I count it a blessing and a privilege to work the works of Him who saved me: going into the prisons and ministering; going to the mission field and spending time doing things for others; spending money on those less fortunate; visiting the sick… and always telling them about Jesus.
These things could be considered works. That’s fine. I count it as a blessing to be able to do what I can for others. I never give it a thought that it helps to earn my salvation. It doesn’t.
In a small way, it does say, “Thank you, Lord, for your unspeakable gift.”