A fundamental tenet of Christianity is that we are saved, that we receive God’s righteousness, by faith—and faith alone. But there is no such thing in a Christian tradition of faith alone that does not result in evidence of that faith—that is works done in society.
I have spent the last thirty-two years of my life working in prisons and for prisoners—arguably some of the most marginalized people today. Most are poor, disadvantaged, and have little opportunity to get back in society. I do not do this simply because it is a noble cause, or simply because the inmates need me, or because I am repenting for my Watergate sins and somehow doing penance. I do it because God has “saved” me. And my response is one of total gratitude for what He has done in my life—forgiving my sins. This is what God has called me to do.
It is the assurance of salvation and the gratitude that flows from it that has motivated Christians through the centuries. Whether it was caring for the sick and dying during the plagues in Rome, or abolishing the slave-trade, or aiding the homeless and impoverished in the streets of East London, or building schools and hospitals, Christians have always done good works out of gratitude to God for what He does in reconciling us to Himself.
Good works inevitably flow from God’s saving work in the lives of individuals.
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