works vs. Works
The word “works” has caused much confusion amongst Christians. Some take the word “works” to mean that one must work in order to maintain their salvation while others feel that works is not a necessity of salvation.
(Mat 5:16) “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
God stated that our works are as filthy as rags ((Isa 64:6). But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
In our flesh, we are incapable of producing works that is pleasing to Him. As born again believers, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. As Christians we are to yield our bodies, our hearts and minds unto Him. It is this yielding that His Spirit produces the light that He wishes. We are utterly incapable of producing the light of God, only God Himself is capable of producing His light.
When a Christian attempts to produce works on their own, they are working in the flesh whereas when a Christian is yielding to His power, the Spirit of God is working and not one’s flesh. The glory of that work belongs to Him. The work of our flesh belongs to us and our flesh does not bring glory to God.
In Matthew 5:16 (above), the light that is to shine before men is the light of the gospel. We are utterly incapable of producing the light of the gospel except through yielding to the Holy Spirit.
Christians have been called out of darkness into His light. The light belongs to Him. (1Pe 2:9) But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
The light that belongs to Him will shine through us. His light shining through us belongs to Him and the works that is produced because of that light also belongs to Him. The glory of His Works belongs to Him.
If we claim that we must produce works, in essence, we are taking God out of that equation and replacing it with I — I must do, I must produce, etc. What we should state is: I will yield myself to Him and allow Him to work through me. We are to yield ourselves as an empty vessel. If we are the empty vessel in which He is able to work, the Work produced belongs to Him and Him alone.
There are two Greek words that are used to describe “works”. The first one is:
From ergō (a primary but obsolete word; to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication an act: – deed, doing, labour, work. This word denotes the actual labor that we are doing in His service at His command when He works in us.
The word used to describe His work that He is producing in us is: energeō en-erg-eh’-o from G1756; to be active, efficient: – do, (be) effectual (fervent), be mighty in, shew forth self, work (effectually in). This word denotes His activity in us. His work is the miracles produced in us, a manifestation of His spirit (1 Cor 12:6-7). Alone, our efforts or works is not to His glory, He must be allowed to produce in us and this is His Glory.
When the Lord died on the cross and He paid our price for our sins, it was His Work and His Work alone and the glory of that Work belongs to Him. He then goes to work sanctifying us. The fruit of that sanctification process is His Work and the glory is His. If we take credit for the fruit of the Spirit, we take away His gory and, in essence, give the glory to ourselves. The fruit of the Lord is an inevitable product of our salvation and the glory belongs to Him. When we take credit for the fruits of the Spirit, we working in the flesh and the flesh does not and cannot glorify Him. God will not share the glory of His Works.
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