God's Gift - Not Our Works
Introduction
Homework Review
Were there any queries arising out reading Mark 11-16, or any other questions about some aspect of the Christian faith that the passage raises?
Quick Review
See what you can remember about the previous studies.
Answer #1 - What I Have Done:
God, you should accept me because I have:
- Lived a good life
- Kept the Ten Commandments
- Gave to charities
- Was a good citizen
- Was a good parent
- Prayed and read the Bible
- Have been to church
- Was baptised ... etc.
This is often how people try to get right with God, but not one of these good works individually, nor all of them collectively, can qualify us for heaven.
Why do you think good works cannot get us into heaven?
Read Mark 7:20-23
God's standard is 100 percent perfection and by this standard we all fail. This is why no-one can be saved by good works.
Furthermore, sin is not just a matter of doing, or saying, or even thinking wrong things. Jesus says here that from within, out of the heart, come all the evil things that he lists. Suppose you go to the doctor with red spots all over your body, and he diagnoses measles. Imagine he then tried to cure you by putting band-aids over all the spots! You would say, 'Hold on, the spots are only the symptoms - the real disease is within, in the blood-stream!'
So it is with sin. When we do, say or think wrong things these are only the symptoms of sin. The real problem is that from within, out of the heart come these evil symptoms. In our hearts, the Bible says we are in rebellion against God, actively or passively, and doing a few good works cannot cure this rebellion! Doing a few good works is like putting spiritual band-aids on the problem. The central problem is that we each want to run our lives our own way. We want to live apart from God and push Him out. This is sin.
Answer #2 - What Christ has Done:
The right answer
What do we mean by grace?
This salvation is the gift of God. It is the finished work of Christ alone that saves us. We must respond to his finished work by faith.
Summary
We have seen that eternal life, forgiveness of sins and a place in God's kingdom cannot be earned or deserved by us. They have been earned for people by the Son of God, through his death and rising again.
God, you should accept me because of what Christ has done for me, and that alone.
Good works do not produce salvation
BUT
Salvation produces good works.
Read Ephesians 2:8-10.
Recall that you promised to show how they could know for certain that they have eternal life. We have seen that we do not have to earn salvation, indeed we cannot. It is the gift of God.
Homework
Have a careful read through the "Knowing God Personally" booklet by next week, feel free to mark any sections you don't understand or would like to discuss.
Have a read through the following passages for next week:
- Mark 1:15
- Mark 8:34-38
- Mark 9:43-48
- Mark 10:29-31
What does it mean to follow Jesus?
Underline what you think are the most significant words for you in the passages above.