The Role of Works in Salvation
Matthew 25 verses 14 through to 30. for it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servant and entrusted to them his property. In one he gave five talents to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded them with, and he made five more. So also he had the two talents and he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had the one received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled the account with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. saying, Master, you delivered to me five talents here. I have made five talents more, his master said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little. I will set you over much, entering the joy of your master. And he who also had the two talents came forward saying, Master, you delivered to me that two talents here, I have made two more.' His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' He also, who had received the one talent, came forward saying, Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you do not sow. and gathering where you scattered no seed. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours, but his master answered him, you wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and you gather where I have not scattered seed. Then you ought to have invested my money. with the banker, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with the interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. To everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance, but from one who has not even what he has will be taken away, and cast worth and cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness in that place where there were weeping and gnashing of teeth. As with all parables, something you'll see is there's all, the most important thing is there's one lesson in there, one lesson for us to learn. And there's a lesson I learned this week. I was taught it by a bunch of primary school children. I learned that if you have a youthful face, do not shave your beard off. Because when you walk in, you'll have a bunch of children going, saying, are you from the high school? Not what you want to hear when you're the pastor of a church. But anyway, you guys hired a 15 year old, so, such a good... Let's begin in prayer. Father, we pray for your Spirit now to descend upon us. Lord, we pray that you may open our ears, that we may hear what you have to speak to us. Father, I pray that you may grant me the words to speak clearly and also to speak faithfully to your Word. So we pray all these things in Jesus' name, amen. All right, so we're doing a series on parables, right? So there are all these little stories which have like a a kernel of truth in them, something you're meant to hold onto. They've got a lesson in them for us. And Matthew 25, back in Matthew 24, Jesus has just kind of laid out all this weird stuff about the future and abominations of desolations and all that stuff we're not gonna get into. We did it in Mark, you can go back and listen to that if you want to. But then he has all these parables that follow on after that, all talking about the second coming, all talking about... Jesus coming again because it's very near the end Matthew 25 by Matthew 28. It's over right where Jesus has died risen again and gone to heaven, right? And so here we are right towards the end of Jesus ministry This is before he is passed away and he is giving them instruction and so before you have the parable of the talents Oh, is this not working? Ah, okay, sorry, realising that now. Alright. So if you... We have the parable of the ten virgins. And it's all about these virgins that, you know, some have oil and some don't and then the others didn't keep extra and all this stuff. Anyway, what it really was, was a lesson in vigilance. Okay? You have to be vigilant. Ready, waiting. When's Jesus gonna come back? He's gone! He's gonna come again. He said he's gonna come again. Are you ready? Are you guys ready? Are you ready? Everyone ready? You got your oil? Everyone have their oil. We need our oil. Good, good. We should have our oil. But then we come to the parable of the talents. And here we come from rather, instead of a lesson in vigilance, we come to a lesson in diligence. And so here, we're really asking the question, what are Christians to do while we waiting Christ's return? And so this is really important because... You know, when you're saved, you kind of expect, like, I've been saved, let's go now. Right, we can go to heaven, I'm ready to go now. Some reason Jesus hasn't come back. And so just like Ian was talking about, Jesus has left us this parable, kind of like a sign in the sky, to show us the way that we're meant to be heading. What are we meant to be doing while we're here? Which way am I meant to go? And so, finally, here we are talking about good works. Matt, you talk about the gospel all the time, what Jesus has done, what can I do? Oh, let's talk about some works. And look, that's very true. We need to talk about good works. We need to talk about what is Christians are we meant to do? But we have to make sure it is in the right place. Works, if they're put in the wrong place, ruin Christianity, ruin the whole gospel. So we're going to go through today. I'm going to share to you the importance of works and then as we come to the end, I will explain to you where they fit in. Because if we get that wrong, it all falls apart. So our first point, I've got four points we're to walk through today. Sorry, I didn't have enough time this morning to put them on the slideshow, but I'll try and make it as plain as I can for you. First point, all must be judged. So here we have three servants. And so don't pay too much attention to the talents just yet. But here we have these servants. Now are these employees of this master here? Understand, when you look at the word servant, a lot of you in your Bible will have a little note next to it, like a little number normally, or maybe a little letter. And down the bottom, you'll also find this in a lot of Paul's letters. He'll start with, am Paul, a servant of Christ. And it will have that little footnote, and you'll see it down the bottom, see, also can be translated slave. They just translate it servant because when we think slave, we think African-American slavery, which was not the kind of slavery they had back then completely. It was a bit different. But anyway, this is understanding that what he's saying here is these are slaves of the master. And so understanding we are the servants in this message, right? We are slaves of Jesus Christ. That's who you are. All of you guys, welcome to slavery. Isn't it pretty good? We are slaves of Jesus Christ. That doesn't mean that He's mistreating us. See, that's where we jump to slavery and think mistreatment. No, no, no. It simply means that everything we are and everything we have is Christ's. Everything is from Him and so everything is for the purpose of serving Him. And so these servants in this parable are entrusted with talents. Now, how many of you have at least one talent? You up, got at least, yeah, people are half a talent, you know, some people, right. Import them. Some of you will know this. Some people love to just jump in and say, talents means gifts and skills. I have a talent for being mischievous or something like that. I know some of you definitely do, Heather. No, But one thing we have to understand is that it's actually not talking because then it's suddenly saying this servant's going and trading his talents. Well, OK, I understand I have talents, but how do I go and trade them? Understand talents does not mean gifts and skills in this passage What it actually is talking about talent was a measurement right back in that day and it was a measurement normally of gold or silver It was a lot of like 35 kilos or so so understand we'll get into the more specifics of it later But this is a lot of money really it should have been translated big old bags of gold is what they had And so they've been trusted with much and understand that they have been entrusted with this. It is still the masters, right? So they are not owners, they are stewards, right? They are to use it diligently. But the first point we wanna notice, at the end of it, all of them come before the master. And understand here you have someone, you have, at the end, it says, worthless servant thrown into hell, or the outer darkness as it refers it. and those who enter into the joy of their master. So here we have believers and unbelievers alike. The slaves are not just... Sorry, is this going in and out a lot? No, it's okay? Okay, all good, awesome. So, this is believer and unbeliever alike. This is not just about Christians. All people are slaves to Jesus Christ, whether they like it or not. There is one God. He is the God of all people. So this is a parable for all. And so the understanding with this... All of them come before the Master, either to be rewarded or to be punished. And so this is something that we must realise as Christians. All of us must come before God's judgment seat. All of us must give an account for everything we have done. I'm sorry my thing is just frozen and I need the passages. Anyway, we'll first, I'm really sorry, this is not how today was meant to go. Anyway, okay, from Romans 14, 10 to 12. It says, why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God, for it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us will have to give an account of himself to God. or 2 Corinthians 5, 10, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. You see, we can have a view of judgment day that it is the sinners that are sent there and they are judged and they are seen for their evil. But yet it says in Corinthians, whether good or evil. What good is there in a sinner? There is no good. They don't do any good works. But you see, there is an importance to judgment day. Believers, there's not an express line on judgment day. We don't get to just kind of go around that courtroom. All of us have to come before God. Now why is this? You see, the grace of the Gospel is not about having our sins hidden away. It is not about having them covered up. It is about the fact that we have a Mediator who can deal with them. You see, because God is just. He is a just judge that has to be. Because imagine for all those people all around the world who are suffering injustices, to know God as judge is a good thing. So that must mean that everything is brought to light. What good is there in that? I want my wrongs covered up. I don't want that. But you see, the grace is that on that day, when everything in our lives is brought to light, you will have an answer for God. You'll be able to say, I have no excuse, but I trust in Jesus Christ that He has forgiven me of my sins. Every time He brings something up, that will be your answer and you will be covered. But it must be brought to light. Unbelievers will not have this refuge. They will be found guilty. And you see the important reasons for this. Why must we also be opened up like them? Why must all of our dirty laundry be aired for the whole world? Because God must be glorified, therefore he has a right to display his mercy to the whole world. He never gets to show the depth of the gospel and the grace and the mercy that is in it if he does not show the whole world the kind of people that he loves. And so you see, now, these bad works, the things in our lives that bring us shame, that we hate the idea of ever being brought down to light, they are not brought out to condemn you, but they are brought out that God might receive the glory and the praise. That cannot happen if we are not judged. And another thing, God rewards good works done in faith by us as Christians. And if we aren't judged, you never get the reward. You have to come before God. Our works must be tested and shown for the good that they are. Because who has ever believed a child when they say, go and clean up your room and you can have an ice cream, and then they come back 30 seconds later and say, all done. there must be evidence, it must be seen. That cannot happen if we are not judged. And so this is just the blanket statement. The first thing, all of us come before the judgment seat of God. But now let us delve into the depths. What can we learn about the talents? So particularly, our second point is what do the different talents mean? So talent, right, we already know, not gifts and skills. It's a measurement. 35 kilos. If it was of gold, one talent, it's about $5 million. So not a small amount of money. Alright? One got one, the other got two, the other got five. This is a vast wealth they've entrusted with, a large fortune. And so, now we ask ourselves, what is this talent represent? Is this just money then? So in this parable, what does this represent? Well, look, in some part, it actually does represent talents. But what it is talking about is about the vast wealth that you have been given by God in everything you have been given. Whether that be financial resources, But whether that be gifts or talents or opportunities or just simply having a long life. And you see, but there is something that we, well sorry, something that we don't need to focus on, which is the fact that some people can look at this and say, how do I become a five talent Christian? How do I get to that one? You do realize the story, right? The servants come, they're all servants, and he simply gives to them. One to another five to another two. So it's a gift from God, right? It's not like you earn your way to being a five-talent Christian. You're simply given what you were given. What is being demonstrated here is actually a fact of life. Some will live for a hundred years. Some will live for 25. Some will have much finances. Some will have little. Some of you will have many opportunities to share the gospel. Some of you will feel like you have absolutely none at all. It is simply the fact that we all walk a different path in life. The thing to focus on is not what the servants are different about, but rather what they share in common, particularly the five-talent and the two-talent servant. They receive the same reward. See, both of them labor with what they have been given and both of them are told, enter into the joy of your master. Come, they receive the same reward. And so what we learn here, What really matters, it is not about the amounts. That is not what they are rewarded for. They are rewarded for their character and their labour in the task in which they have been given. That is what you are rewarded for being faithful, not for making much of what you have been given. hopefully you do make much, but it is more about the attitude with which you go about it and the intentionality with which you have. And so we jump on then to our third point. It was just a small point there about that really explaining what those different talents are about, which is that we all come from different walks of life. But obviously we ask the question here, what does it mean to be profitable? What does it mean to trade, to make an increase? So we know these talents represent everything God has given us. And so we understand if we're peeling back and looking at what is represented in this parable, You have Jesus as the Master. We have us humans as the Servant, believer and unbeliever alike, and talents representing everything that God gives us. And so... We are here and we are reminded that we are to use all things profitably. But again, remember what I said earlier. They are not owners of this small fortune or large fortune, but they are stewards. What does it mean when you're a steward of something? Or as anyone here, you don't have to raise your hand, but if anyone's like a trustee in a trust, what does that mean? You act in the best interests of the person, of the beneficiary, right? So you're not laboring for yourself, but rather for someone else. And so that means you are not doing it with your desires and wants in mind, but rather that person. And so here, the stewards are laboring not for themselves, but for the Master, for Jesus. And so it's important to understand this because when you see the useless servant, we think that his problem is, the real problem that's being brought out is that he's lazy, right? He just dug it in the ground and just kind of covered it up. He was just so scared. He's just like, oh, get that thing away from me, right? But that actually wasn't truly the problem. His laziness was a symptom. But the greater problem was this. What do you think he was doing? Because you know, it says, after a long time, the master returned. What was he doing that whole time? This servant. He wasn't doing anything with the job he'd been entrusted with. So if he wasn't doing the job he'd been given, he was just doing whatever he wanted, right? So what does that mean? He probably, I don't know. beach in the Bahamas, I don't know, or maybe he wanted to go out into Rome or enjoy a weekend out there. But he was just living his own life. loved whatever, he just wanted to do what he wanted to do. He said, I do not want to labor for the Master, I want to do what I want to do. So basically he said, I wish to be my own Master. I will not work for you. That was truly the problem. He refused to submit himself to Christ, to this Master. and rather chose to serve himself. And so we know that everyone has Jesus as their master, so what does he want us to do? Do you think he's, if this talents is about money, do you think he's just saying, go and make me more money? God really doesn't need money, maybe he wants you to raise some money for a mission thing, I'm not saying that, but really that is not the point of this passage. Because how are you meant to multiply time? You know, how are you meant to make more of that? But he's simply saying, how do we make the most of that? And so, Here what helps us is something that we should be aware of. That you know how the Bible really nicely has all these headings and all these numbers, chapter numbers that really help to break up and kind of help your mind wrap around where the different sections are? Really helpful. Blessing. Good thing to understand though, they were not there in the beginning. The original manuscripts did not have numbers and headings, all right? It was just a big long letter or a big long book. The importance is this, is that when oftentimes they are very useful, sometimes they can make breaks in our minds where they actually shouldn't be. And so one of them, and again, it isn't horrible because it is kind of another story, but is after the end, the passage that follows after our one, it shifts from a parable to rather a foretelling of what the second judgment will be like. But it is actually an explanation in part, almost... a more visual representation of what will actually happen in the parable. And so here it is judgment day in this passage. Jesus has come, he separates the sheep from the goats, which is the believers from the unbelievers. And then he shares what separates one from the other. He goes from verses 35 to 44. I'm not going to read the whole thing out. You can go through and read it. But in... to simplify it, He says to the sheep, the believers, When I came to you, when I was naked you clothed me, when I was hungry you fed me, when I was in prison you visited me. And they said, Lord, when did we do that? And He said, when you did it to the least of these, the least of my children, the least of your brothers and sisters, You did it to me. And so you see in that, and then he does the opposite with the unbelievers. You said that you loved me, but yet when I came to you, you did not feed me, you did not clothe me, you did not visit me. At the crux, what he's getting at, the faithful servants, what are they doing with their talents? They are using it to serve others. And in turn, by doing that, they are serving God. They are glorifying Him. Because they understand this, that the primary purpose of everything they have been given is not about them. It is actually about God's glory and the benefit of others. It is just like God said to Abraham. In Genesis 12, Abraham blessed man, right? As many offspring as sand in the beach. And what does it say in Genesis 12 too? I will make you a great nation. This is God to Abraham. I will bless you and make your name great. Why? so that you will be a blessing. He was not meant to hoard it all to himself, but God came and showed him unconditional grace so that then he might go and on and continue to show it to others, that he might go and bless others. As the old saying kind of goes, you are blessed to be a blessing. And so you see, why? Why is that what he wants us to do? Why is multiplying the talents going and serving others, seeking the benefit of others and not ourselves? Because if we use what we have been given to serve ourselves, who is the master? We are. But if we are serving others, who is the master? It is not us, but someone greater than us. We show that our lives are lived for someone else. People see that we are seeking to bring glory and honour not to us, but to another. And so our lives are like this. Like Jesus was when he was a young boy. You know that story? It's in Luke, not including any of the other Gospels, when he's about 12 years of age. And he runs off for three days, his parents are running around Jerusalem trying to find him. Where are you Jesus? And after three days, like a little smart aleck, you know, and not that Jesus actually was, but you see kind of the childish nature of Jesus in some ways here, though it wasn't sin. When his parents finally find him, and they question, what were you doing? Where were you? He says in Luke 2, 49, did you not know that I must be about my father's business? Or some translations put it in my father's house. And so you see, he said, I have a more, yes, you are my parents and I respect that. But at the same time, I have a higher calling and that is to serve my heavenly father's will. And so you see, that is our call. as Christians, we are to follow Jesus' examples, we are not our own masters. But we are called to be slaves to Jesus and to His will. Now what does this mean? This isn't a call now to go and make, some of you would probably love to do this, go and make, I'm sure Ian would probably love this, you go and make a time sheet and you figure out how to maximise, I'm not saying you've got to go do that Ian, but you know, I know you like spreadsheets. know, going and taking, and just making a... just maximizing the potential of God's glory in every single aspect of your day. Just analyzing every little thing. Now there can be a temptation to do that. Some people love that idea. That sounds absolutely tiring to me. But that is actually not the focus here. It is not a call to become so inwardly introspective that we must look in upon ourselves, but it is actually a call with a general truth. You see, a general truth that we must keep before ourselves, like that Southern Cross as we look up at it. This, that everything we possess is God's. Written, you know how most of you probably have books maybe, or kids toys that you've written on the bottom? Like in Toy Story, always had Woody written on the bottom of his, not Woody, sorry, I don't remember the boy's name in it. Andy. Andy, Andy, there you go, always had Andy written on his boot. So he knew that he was not his own. I am Andy's toy, right? I am not just Woody. And so we realize, God is written on the bottom of our boot. He is written on our hearts. We are gods, not just Christians, all people. Everything is God's and is to be used for His purposes. So when anything comes our way, what is the first question? How can I use this for my benefit? No. Have you been listening? How do we bring glory to God and or how does this serve others? I'm not saying you won't derive some benefit from things. It's fine, but... But do not keep that as the primary purpose in your mind. And so, what is the motivation for this at the end? Why do the servants labour so much, these faithful servants? Well, isn't it the fear of hell? Because I don't want to be the worthless servant. I don't want to be the one thrown into that outer darkness. That sounds terrifying. There's weeping and gnashing of teeth. I don't know, like, I've been told that I grind my teeth in my sleep, especially when I was younger. And apparently it sounded terrifying. So hell must be really scary. No, gnashing is a bit more... Anyway, hell, not a fun place, right? Seems like that's your motivation, right? Stay out of hell. But you see, it's an interesting thing. That was the motive. It was a motivation, yes, for all of the servants. And then when you come to the servant who was thrown into hell though, look at his description of him. In verse 24, he says, oops, sorry, I actually got that wrong. Oh, yeah, no. He who had received the one talent came forward saying, Master, I knew you to be a hard man. Now, does this sound like Jesus? That he reaps where he does not sow? That he gathers seed where he scattered no seed? No. It sounds nothing like Jesus. And so... It's this funny thing because you only get it from the servant who refused to serve Jesus in the first place. This exacting view of God, this God that motivates by fear, is a view that you only find in those who refuse to accept Jesus as their master. Because this is not a truthful view of Jesus, it is but an excuse. It is when he has no other words to offer, he simply can do nothing but try to distort the character of God. That's all we can do. When we want to be the Master, all we can do is say, well, this is actually what God is like, and not truthfully see Him as He is. See, for the Christian, Look, God as judge is a scary thing, but I can't lie, it does not faze me. It does not bring terror to me. Why? Because I know what I will hear. Faithful Christians know what we will hear on that day, which is not, be gone from me, you worker of iniquity, but rather enter into the joy of your master. See, the master's return, Jesus' return is a day of joy and celebration for us. I pray. So many times for that day, because I'm sick of this place. And so you see, God doesn't reward us. The motivation isn't just hell, but rather it is actually that we will be rewarded. This is a funny thing, because what did the servants do? What they were asked to do. They had a job to do, you shouldn't receive a reward for that. They were already being paid a wage. But he says, into and to the joy of your master. You have been faithful over a little, I will grant you over much, or give you much. So he rewards them beyond what they deserve. This is a gracious reward, an undeserved reward. And you see that is the testimony of the motivation for serving God. It's not wrong to want reward. All right, okay, it seemed like a Christian thing that we're like, I can't be, you I've got to be kind of detached and not want anything from God. All right, I don't fully know what the reward is gonna be in heaven, but the scripture is clear. There is reward. Pursue it, go for it. What this joy seems to be, sorry, what the reward seems to be is greater joy in God. So pursue it, why would you not pursue that? And it is a completely fine motivation. And so, here we draw that this is the great purpose between Jesus' first and second coming. That we are to labour for Him and His interests. We are take everything we are given and just, God, how can I use this for Your glory and for the good of others? That is what we are to do between now and then. But we would be wrong to leave it here only. Because here I have simply told you what to do. I'm sorry that I cannot labour every application point. I would love to get into the details of how we can bring glory to God in our own lives. But there is something we must address. That it would be wrong to leave you here with simply the acknowledgement that as Christians we must pursue good works. But like I said at the start, where do they fit in? Where is the puzzle piece? Because if we get that wrong, it falls apart. We may even be like those because we're- What is Jesus saying in his sermon on the mount? Lord, did we not prophesy and deliver out demons in your name, rebuke them in your name? He says, yes you did, but beyond from me you workers of iniquity. So works are not the only part of the puzzle, there has to be more. So how do they fit in? This is my fourth point now, how do good works fit in to salvation? See, this is very important thing because as humans, right, We are very good at tunnel vision. This is actually a useful thing. It's part of being a human. We focus on the task ahead of us. We focus on that thing. But often we are very, very bad big picture thinkers. Some people are bit better at it, but generally none of us really are that good at it. We are built to focus in upon one thing. But you see, that's a problem because we can take this passage and not read it in light of everything that is revealed to us in God's Word. Everything about our salvation. but we have to find the right place where it fits in. And you see people come in many different camps of where they think good works fit in. They think the other camp, oh you don't deal with this aspect of salvation enough, and the other ones, and they're just yelling at each other back and forth all the time. It's just like a bad Christmas dinner, family dinner kind of thing. And you see here particularly, these views center around this supposed contention between the apostle Paul and James. in their letters around the role of works and salvation. Because what do we have from Paul? Most of us have read Paul's letters and we know what he says because he keeps repeating it over and over. But I'll read from Romans 3, 28. Then you go to James in James 2, 21 to 22 and also verse 24. He says, was not Abraham our father justified by works? When he offered up his son Isaac on the altar. You see that faith was active along with his works. And faith was completed by his works. So you see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. So both even appeal to Abraham in their letters to show their point. But they seem to differ on this point of what justifies a person. that justification is When you're in the courtroom of God, how does He declare you innocent? To be justified before God is to be declared innocent and completely righteous before Him, to have no sin within you. And so we are asked, that is something that God does for all His children, but the question is how? How does He do that? Is it by faith or is it by good works as well? Now, hopefully you guys know. we can never earn salvation. Salvation is entirely of grace. This is Paul in Ephesians 2,8. Most of us will know this passage. For by grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your own doing, it is a gift of God, not a result of works. So that no one may boast. So, how do you deal with this? But here you have James, it's the Word of God. The Word of God cannot contradict itself. And so you see, we fall into these things where we have these apparent contradictions. The important thing is, don't fall into this place where say, well, James was just a bit off where Paul was, right? Or James was on point and Paul was a bit off. Because it is the Word of God and God does not contradict Himself. So, it is an apparent contradiction. What it really shows when we find these These things that don't seem to mesh together is to... we need to start asking ourselves more questions because there is something that we do not understand. So the thing to understand is that they were actually fighting, opposing enemies, but they were defending the same thing. You see, Paul, what was he arguing against? Against those in the Roman church that were saying, can I not earn my salvation by works of the law, by fulfilling the Ten Kamamas you're specifically speaking to Jews? Can I not enter into heaven? Can I not make it there by circumcision and by keeping the law, by keeping the Sabbath? And he says, by no means. It is only by faith. For if there is something we can do to sway God's opinion about us by performing works, then we have a reason to boast. Which is exactly what Ephesians 2 says, we cannot have a reason for. We can have no reason to boast. So then what about James? What is he doing? He is opposing the opposite problem, which is those who are saying, I believe in Jesus. Oh, that means I have to change? Oh, didn't realize I actually have to be a different person. I didn't realize that it involves some kind of change. They ignore that truth in the gospel and in the Bible which says, I was once the old creation, but now I am the new. The old has passed away, the new has come. We are different people when you come to Christ. He does a work within us which should change us. And so that is what he is fighting against. So one says, I can earn my salvation by good behavior. The other says, I'm saved. My behavior doesn't matter. And so here, it is actually simply them opposing two different problems, two false doctrines that arise within the church. They want us to find the middle ground. So where do we find it? The next verse of Ephesians 2 will help us in verse 10. It says, So why were you saved? What does it say in that passage? For good works? Well, doesn't that sound like we're meant to earn our salvation? Then that's what you were saved for. Go and do the good works now. It seems like that, but then we have to take note of what it says after. Which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So you realize these good works, which we do walk in, which we do, are not our good works. They have been prepared beforehand by God. So every time that something good comes in your way, something good that you perform, that you do, it is God who brought all those things. Just remember, everything is God's. He sends it all your way. Every breath that you breathe is His. So ultimately, the good works that we perform, we can take none of the credit for because they are done completely in His strength, dependent upon Him in every way. If you removed Him, the work would be no good. You can never perform a good work without God behind you, without His Holy Spirit at work in you. You see, Jesus explains this in John 15 as the vine and the branches. You guys know this analogy, right? Where Jesus is talking to his disciples and he explains and well, he interprets himself as a vine, right? And we as the branches. And what do the branches produce? Fruit, right? Now, It doesn't say in that passage that once the branches have grown up enough, they kind of detach themselves from the vine and then kind of go and make fruit on their own, right? But what must they do to produce the fruit? Stay connected to the vine. They must stay there. So you see, it's not that the vine is dependent upon the fruit. The fruit is dependent upon the vine. So obviously, the point here is to understand that good works are never the foundation of our faith, but they are the outflow of it. They are the result of it. If you have saving faith, you will produce good works. It is like a seed. If you put a seed of corn in the ground, it will produce corn, provided everything goes well. If it doesn't do that, well, it probably wasn't a seed. I don't know. I'm ruining my analogy here. But understand that you don't start with a corn, that it turns into the corn. I'm ruining it here. Anyway, let me get back on track. But do you understand what I am saying? Do you guys get what I'm saying? That all the good things you do are result of your salvation. they do not earn your salvation. So good works are rather evidences of the fact that God is at work in us. So as we draw to a close, let us go back over it in an overview. Christ has come to offer salvation to all. Every person on offer. That is the message of the Gospel. We have been saved from our sins by the cross. He stands in the way of God's wrath. What a blessing. Now he saved us and left us here. So now we're sitting here, awaiting His return. And He's instructed us as to what to do in the meantime. He has told us Christianity is not just about being saved and then continuing on with your life as you did before. But it is now about a life lived in service to God and to His purposes. You have a new Master now. Freedom in Christ does not mean that we get to do whatever we want. It is to know that true freedom is being under the right master. And so he has given instructions as to what we are to do once we have come to know him. We are to serve him, pursue him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. That is our calling. That is what it means to be Christian. It is not just to be forgiven, but it is to live a life for God's glory. And so he realized that the story and the message of Christianity is not just salvation, but it is that you are welcomed into a blessed slavery. So my friends, do you understand this? Good works have their place. We must produce them. But when I say we must, that does not mean you go out and do it all by yourself. What I am saying is your salvation will naturally produce it. If you're struggling to see any good fruit, one, you're either far too critical of yourself, which some are, or two, we need to start questioning the truth of our salvation. So if you're worried about it, what do you do? Acknowledge that the vine, the branches, right? We are the branches. do not, when they start to become worried, they don't hop off and start trying to produce fruit on their own. What do they do? They remind themselves, I am connected to the vine. Remind yourself and come back to the vine. It is what sustains you. Don't start thinking, I've got to work more. That may come in due time. You may do more good works. but first come back to your Saviour. That is your foundation. When you start relying upon your works, It is a comfort to us to see the good works in our lives, but if you start relying upon them for your assurance before God, man, you're going to be filled with fear on that day. Understand the work of the cross is what gives us our assurance, the good works, and what give us the assurance that that work of the cross is happening in us, but it is not the foundation. So now let us close in prayer. Father, You have shown us the truth. Lord, you have given us the message of the gospel, the message which saves us. Lord, the moment we heard those words, the moment the Holy Spirit broke in and turned our hearts from sin to you, the moment they opened our eyes to see truthfully our sin as well as the grace offered to us by you sacrificing your Son upon the cross, substituting Him for us. Father there, you purchased our assurance, the certainty of our salvation. So Father now, though you have called us to labor, we have been called to a new master. So we pray that you may grant us and equip us with everything we need. Father, for those who feel like we have run off, that we would draw near to you again, reminded of the unending grace that you show us. through your Son on the cross, that by returning to you, we might be filled up, sustained, that we may produce good fruit for the benefit of others and for your glory. We pray all these things in Jesus' name, amen.