Faith without works is dead, but what works are we doing? Is it works of the Law or works of Faith?

Believer, works matter 100%. Faith without works is dead. Christ shows us as much in John 15:5-

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him: "God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

Being in Christ the Vine (under Grace) without having much fruit (works of faith) to show for it is as impossible as being submerged in water without getting wet. Works of faith are the "wet."  

Faith without works is dead. When you are of the faith (abiding- relying on, trusting and utterly dependent on Christ and putting no confidence whatsoever in that non-existent ability to do good that many churchgoers think they have,) you will bear much fruit. Christ says so. As long as the branch is attached to the Vine and does not depend on itself or look elsewhere for life, nourishment and ability to bear much fruit (good works,) it will grow strong in the Vine and bear much fruit in season. 

Works (of faith, not the Law) always follow after faith in Christ, just as a branch that is attached to the vine must bear fruit according to the kind of the vine. But many churchgoers are yet to understand the weight and power of the Word of the Almighty about how we get to bear “much fruit." Many are keeping a relationship with the Law (dependence on human effort at living a godly life) in order to bear fruit to God and so are cut off from Christ -

"For if you are trying to make yourself right with God by keeping the Law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's Grace." Galatians 5:4.

Antichrist pastors make it look like being under Grace means you do nothing but twiddle your fingers idly or commit sins with reckless abandon since your sins are forgiven. Not so! Being under Grace does not mean that we sit idly doing nothing as antichrist preachers say. On the contrary, in Christ, we get to produce a harvest of good works for God. Our testimony is like Paul's in 1 Corinthians 15:10-

"But because of God’s grace I am what I am. And His grace was not wasted on me. No, I have worked harder than all the other apostles. But I didn’t do the work. God’s grace was with me."

How is God's grace wasted on a person? See this in Galatians 2:20- "I do not get rid of the grace of God. What if a person could become right with God by obeying the law? Then Christ died for nothing!"

Dependence on even an iota of human effort (arm of flesh) at obedience or producing good works aka keeping the Law in order to be godly is akin to throwing God's grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) in the trash. It is also the way to get cut off from Christ-

"For if you are trying to make yourself right with God by keeping the Law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's Grace." Galatians 5:4.

For all the abundance of good works that we get to do in Christ and the godly life that we get to live in Him, God gets all the glory. We who are under Grace know that we can do nothing without Christ. In Him, God fills us to overflowing with His goodness and mercy so much that with what is spilling over, we can't help but do exploits in His name. We get to give, love and live a life of moral excellence that exceeds that which the Law demands, yet not us but Christ in us. This is why you will never find a true believer boasting about how God gave her a jet because she sowed her car and kept the Ten Commandments.

Beloved of God, see yourself as who you really are of yourself: powerless with no good in you. The same goes for all of us of ourselves. See, through the experience of Paul, God's word concerning our non-existent will-power to do right that many churchgoers depend on when they misinterpret "Faith without works is dead" - Romans 7:18-

"For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

But Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) that will fail misinterprets the gospel and says: 

"No, I can. God must be wrong. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law. 'Faith without works is dead' so I can and must do good works to prove my faith. 'Shall we sin that grace may abound' so I will make sure I don't commit sin in order to remain godly."

Reminds one of Peter who thought Jesus was wrong when He told Peter about his then upcoming denials. Like Peter who boasted in his own strength to do the good work of not denying Christ and following Him to prison and to death but ended up breaking the Law, many wrongly believe that they have the will-power to do what is right or do any good work. 

Peter's example shows us that good intentions will get one nowhere when the one who depends on his will-power is tempted beyond what he can bear. He denied Christ thrice after boasting in himself and knowing 100% that he wouldn't. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think that some sins are beneath them or that they can obey the Law, do good works and overcome sin by their will-power. Believer, let's not be found here. The arm of flesh (dependence on human effort for whatever) will fail. The earlier a believer understands that of ourselves, there is no good in anybody, the better. 

We who believe in Jesus Christ to produce good works the same way that the branches of the vine get to bear much fruit; the same way Abraham and Sarah got to bear the fruit (good work) of Isaac.

We see a picture of our salvation in Christ and the difference between "works of the Law" and "works of Faith" in the way Abraham and Sarah produced the "works" of Ishmael and Isaac. In Galatians 4, Hagar and Sarah are typified as the two covenants of Law and Grace. See Galatians 4- 

21 "Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. ...28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also."

Abraham here is a picture of Faith. Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to help her give birth to  Isaac (the church- you and I in Christ) or raise/train Isaac to be fruitful and full of good works. Grace is enough/sufficient.

Ishmael was born according to the flesh:  aka "in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise."

God told Abraham and Sarah that they will have a son- Isaac. But they decided to put matters in their own hands in order to bear this fruit. Ishmael was the result of Abraham (Faith) and Sarah's (Grace) human attempt at bearing fruit through Hagar (Law) in a bid to bring to pass God's promise to pass in their lives.  This is a type or picture of churchgoers claiming to be saved by Grace through Faith yet are still trying to keep the Law (human striving at attaining godliness) and are doing its works in order to bear the fruit of godliness or make God's promise come to pass in their lives, because of the false interpretation of "Faith without works is dead."  This is as silly as expecting a child to love his parents first or grow a beard or be well-behaved like his father before he can become their child. Leading a life of love and every other good work that we get to do in Christ are FRUITS of us being joined to God and God being joined to us (John 15:5.)

Ephesians 2:8-9 says:

"For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; 9 not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]."

Sarah (Grace) and Abraham (Faith) couldn't wait for their own salvation from childlessness and so decided to hurry God's promise along by their own will-power; young and fertile Hagar was given to the still-virile Abraham so that Hagar and Abraham could have a child, this after God had already promised them that Sarah herself would bear the fruit of Isaac through His power.

Isaac did not come until Abraham and Sarah knew 100% that they were POWERLESS to bear fruit. For us today, Christ says in John 15:5-

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

But just as Abraham (Faith) and Sarah (Grace) did with Hagar (Law,) many are trying to help God to make His word come to pass through human striving at bearing fruit aka keeping the Law or dependence on human effort at obedience. This thought has its root in the belief that God's work cannot succeed without our making it so by some forceful effort on our part. This is exactly what Abraham and Sarah thought as they were engineering the birth of Ishmael through Hagar (a picture of the Law.) This is where all those who are trying to be perfect aka “be like God” by their own will-power stand. 

But God does not recognize such works that proceed from human striving at attaining godliness aka law-keeping. See His word to Abraham in Genesis 22:2-

"Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love--Isaac--and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you."

Abraham had two sons at the time God said what He did in Genesis 22:2, with Ishmael being the older. Why would God tell Abraham "Take your only son..." when Abraham had two sons? It is because God does not recognize works that are produced in the manner in which Ishmael was produced aka through Hagar (Law.)

Believer, by Grace, we have to get to the point where Abraham and Sarah - utterly powerless of ourselves and utterly trusting and dependent on Christ-  were before we can produce good works that are acceptable to God.

There are works on both sides of the Law (dependence on human effort at producing the fruit of right living/godliness) and Grace/Faith (Christ-effort at bearing the fruit of right living/godliness.) What makes the difference is the mindset or thought behind how these works come about:

Dependence on human effort (arm of flesh) at obedience aka Lawkeeping OR utter trust and dependence on Christ who is Grace-personified.

Churchgoers who claim to be saved by Grace through Faith yet, like Abraham and Sarah, try to keep the Law (aka have a relationship with Hagar) in order to bear the fruit of godliness might have works to show for it, but God does not recognize such works of the Law. They just don't count with Him. In fact, Isaiah 64:6 describes such righteousnesses as a menstrual rag in God's sight:

"We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in Your sight."

Only God's gift of righteousness to us in Christ will suffice for God the Righteous Judge, and it is free for all who believe in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:9 tells us how God sees all who look to Christ alone for salvation:

“And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

Just as God did not recognize the child that Hagar (who is a type of the Old Covenant of the Law) bore through Abraham and Sarah's human attempt at bringing His promise to pass, God does not recognize the righteousnesses that proceed from obeying the Law or doing its works in order to produce fruit, even though these works are visible, like those of the Pharisees.

Until one realises how useless his will-power/human attempt at bearing fruit to God or to be perfect like God is - whether the fruit of moral excellence, witnessing, righteousness or anything that is done to get any blessing that comes from God - all that he will produce for his efforts at obeying the law in order to bear the fruit of godliness is work that is like Ishmael, not recognized by God. Even though these righteous works of the Law that are done to get right with God or to bear the fruit of godliness are visible to the world just like Ishmael who was born to Abraham through Hagar (a picture of the Law,) God does not recognize them-

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the Law commands. The Law simply shows us how sinful we are.” Romans 3:20.

The promise that God made to Abraham can only be inherited by Grace (typified by Sarah) through Faith (typified by Abraham.) There is no room for Law (typified by Hagar.) In God's reckoning, any “fruit” of Hagar aka righteousnesses from keeping the Law might as well not exist. They are like “a menstrual rag" in His sight.

Sarah (Grace) had two kinds of works. Her work (of faith) was Isaac and it had nothing to do with her human effort at bearing fruit through keeping a relationship with Hagar (Law.) She was utterly powerless of herself when she did this work of faith. This is where God wants us to be: seeing how helpless we are of ourselves to make ourselves perfect aka “be like God" and trusting in Him to do it all for us. But His blessings are so supernaturally natural in our lives that we think we did good and obeyed all by ourselves. Friend, you who think yoi are "still okay," and can obey the Law, you are still standing and seem to be doing a good job of obeying the Law only because God did not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear! 

Sarah also had another kind of work (Ishmael) through Hagar (Law,) this one driven by her human attempt to bring God's promise to pass in her life. Ishmael belonged to Sarah. He was Sarah's work. She owned him. But God does not recognize such human effort-driven works at bearing fruit. She and Abraham were POWERLESS to do anything by their own will-power when Isaac was given. God does not recognize such works that come from human effort at getting what He promised.

Remember Galatians 4:28 says:

"And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise."

Just as Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to train Isaac (believers in Christ) in the way of godliness, we who are children of God in Christ (Grace-personified) do not need to keep a relationship with the Law (human striving at attaining godliness or being perfect like God) in order to attain godliness, righteousness or live a life of moral excellence. Grace is enough. Beware of those who peddle that horrid mixture of part-Law and part-Grace that says:

"Yes we are saved by Grace (Sarah) through Faith but we still have to keep the Law (Hagar,) not for justification but in order to bear the fruit of godliness and moral excellence, get God to bless and inherit eternal life. Faith without works is dead so you have to produce works. You have to be perfect as God is perfect aka “be like God" in order to maintain your salvation, show that you are truly saved and blah blah blah."

This is Satan's doctrine - telling people whom Christ died to make perfect and godly (like God) that they have to do something in order to “be like God.” Satan's strategy has not changed since Eden. Recall God made Adam and Eve in His likeness. They were already like God but were deceived into trying to be like God. This horrid mixture that is neither Law nor Grace is the "neither cold nor hot" that Christ speaks of in Revelation 3.

Even worse is that peddlers of this false doctrine imply that our Husband Jesus Christ who is Grace-personified cannot cause us to bear the fruit of godliness and moral excellence since He has none to give! Think of this relationship with Law and Grace in terms of marriage: Romans 7:1-6 describes having any kind of relationship with the Law (human effort at being perfect like God) in order to bear fruit to God while claiming to be married to Grace as ADULTERY. Isaac was not a joint product of Sarah (Grace) and Hagar (Law.) He was borne of pure Grace through Faith.

Like Ishmael, works of the Law (human effort at bearing the fruit of godliness, righteousness, moral excellence, etc to God) can come very quickly but its doers are servants and cannot remain in the house forever. Such are doers of the Law (letter) that kills, just like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The word that we are to be doers of is not the letter (the Law) that kills. It is the word of Faith that says-

26 “…for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.” Romans 3.

Grace might take her time like Isaac (works of faith) did but here, the promise is sure and forever. Works of the Law arrive quickly, but like Ishmael, can never make one inherit the blessing of Abraham. Only by receiving God's abundance of Grace and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ do we get to live in triumph over sin and death: Romans 5:16-17:

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."

Believe right and you will live right