Category Archives: Works

Bible, Children, Circumcision, Grace, Grandchildren, Justification, Justified, Scripture, Works

NOT BY WORKS

ROMANS 4:10

“How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;”

I love my children and grandchildren – period. Nothing they have done has caused that love. They are loved because they are my family. There is nothing they can ever do that will change that love. Once they were birthed into my family they were forever loved. Can you relate? I cannot imagine my life without them. Even if disagreements occur, even if separation occurs, I will never stop loving them.

Paul states it clearly in today’s verse that nothing Abraham did resulted in his justification. He states the facts of the case from Genesis. This is presented so succinctly in the following: “…hence it clearly appears that circumcision could not be the cause of his justification, since it followed it; and if Abraham when uncircumcised was a justified person, as it is certain he was, why may not uncircumcised Gentiles be justified also? and especially when it is observed, that the covenant made with Abraham when uncircumcised, included the Gentiles;” (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible)

APPLICATION

God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 15 to multiply his seed and give him a land. Fourteen years later God cut covenant with him through circumcision. Fourteen years! If God had required circumcision in order to be justified, He would have told Abraham to do it immediately upon the promise He made. Why did God do it the way He did it? Why wait fourteen years and then required circumcision? I think (and this is just my opinion) that God wanted to separate justification by faith from any works. He still does today.

Think about it. When you come to faith, you don’t have to do a bunch of stuff to get saved. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,…” Receive and believe – that’s it. Now, once you are saved, God expects obedience. He does expect us to follow through on baptism as a sign of our salvation. He does expect us to give generously to invest in His kingdom’s work. He does expect us to serve Him by serving others.

But all those things I just mentioned are post-salvation, not pre-salvation. Just like Abraham was saved (justified) before circumcision, we are saved before any acts or works of faith. I pray you are not trying to achieve your salvation. You will never be able to do that. Receive and believe. Then God will give you Holy Spirit Who will guide you into righteous living. Amen!

Lord God, I am so thankful that I did not have to do something to be called Your child. I came in simple faith, believing in Your Son, Jesus Christ.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Faith, Righteousness, Scripture, Works

NOTHING OF ME

ROMANS 4:6

“just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:”

I don’t know why I thought of Numbers 35:30 when I read today’s verse. I guess because Paul is calling on his second witness to prove that our works are futile in achieving righteousness. In Numbers, we read, “‘If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.’” More than one witness was needed. Perhaps this was on Paul’s heart as he wrote today’s verse.

If anyone knew the futility of works, it was David. Just look back at all the things he had accomplished for God. Most of David’s testimony was good until…that one night. You know the story of David and Bathsheba. Not only did he commit adultery (some say by force), but he also lied and then had her husband killed to try to cover up his sin. It’s no wonder we read in Psalm 32:1-2 these words, “1 How blessed is he whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is a person whose guilt the LORD does not take into account, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!”

APPLICATION

Let me encourage you to read the rest of Psalm 32. There are only eleven verses. You can really feel David’s heart in this psalm. He confesses and praises. He gives advice. David had learned via the School of Hard Knocks. He had trusted the Lord as a young shepherd boy to protect him from the bears and lions who came after his flock. He fled from Saul all those years he had sought to kill him. He even fled from his own son, Absalom, who tried to usurp the throne. But David’s worst enemy was himself, his flesh. He knew he couldn’t do it on his own.

Have you reached that point? I pray it doesn’t take some great moral failure to wake you up. Stop right where you are this morning and examine your motives for doing what you are doing. Are you trying to achieve some kind of spiritual high that will not last? No amount of screaming, yelling, jumping up and down or fasting will bring about righteousness. You are made holy through Jesus.

I probably sound like a broken record these past few verses, but Paul is trying to drive a point home. It’s like I’ve quoted before, “You can’t, God never said you could. He can and He always said He would.” Amen? Believe! Trust! Follow! Obey! And watch the holiness of God roll in and cover you.

O Lord, I am nothing in Your sight and could never accomplish what You can do in one blink of Your eye.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Belief, Bible, Justification, Justified, Scripture, Works

DON’T WORK, JUST BELIEVE

ROMANS 4:5

“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,”

Sentence structure is important for a writer. Jumble up your words and thoughts and the reader has a hard time understanding what you are trying to tell them. I have had some tough English teachers in my lifetime. I won’t call any names, but one that I had in college was the worst ever. She threatened to fail any student that had a comma splice in their final essay. I found out later that she was known as the toughest English professor there. Wish I had known that before.

Paul uses three different verbs in today’s verse. Actually, two are participles that are tied to the main verb which is “is credited.” We saw that verb in the previous verse. If there was any doubt as to what Paul has been saying about works and faith, he makes it clear here. It is not our works that justify us and bring righteousness. It is belief in Him – plain and simple.

APPLICATION

Take a look at what God does for us. I love that Paul writes that He “justifies the ungodly.” Can you raise your hand on that one? I sure can. When I think back to my position before Christ, that is exactly what I was – ungodly. That word “ungodly” is the negative of “respect.” It means to show a lack of reverence or a failure to honor what is sacred. Boy, that was me. I knew all about God but failed to live for Him. But He justified me anyway when I turned to Him.

We are not required to clean ourselves up, to do some kind of hard labor before our belief kicks in. We simply believe. We recognize Him for Who He is – Lord. And we are given that gift of faith that will lead us to a righteous lifestyle. We don’t get there overnight. It takes time for us to learn how to live godly. But through prayer and His Word, we learn what He expects from us.

Do you believe? Do you really believe? Have you accepted this gift of grace and received your justification? God loves you with an everlasting love. He reached down from heaven and has chosen you to be His child. He called your name and, if you have answered, you are forever His. He will never leave you or forsake you. Now, stop trying to work for your salvation. Trust in Him and believe. Follow Him and obey.

Father, I thank You that since I did nothing to get saved, there is nothing I can do to “unsave” myself.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Abraham, Bible, Faith, Justified, Scripture, Works

WAS HE LOOKING?

ROMANS 4:1

“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?”

How many times have you lost your keys lately? Mine mysteriously disappear all the time. I usually blame my wife (lol) but it’s always my fault. They are lying exactly where I put them. I just forget where I put them. I need to get one of those “clapper” thingies so I can just clap my hands and hear the beep. What do you think?

When I first read this verse, I mistakenly thought Paul was saying Abraham “found” something. The Greek word translated “has found” is heuriskó which can mean find, get or obtain. What is important is that is in the Perfect tense which means it happened in the past but has lasting results. Whatever Abraham got, it stuck. That applies to us also. When we get it, we don’t lose it.

APPLICATION

Keeping with the theme of the past couple of chapters, Paul uses Abraham to show that all men are justified through faith, not works. You need to remember that Abraham was where Jews kind of “hung their hat.” They all pointed back to him to try to prove their validity as God’s people. However, as Paul will show shortly, Abraham was counted as righteous long before any works. In fact, the topic of circumcision comes up again in later verses. I don’t want to steal my own thunder on those verses, so we will save that for later.

What have we obtained? How did we obtain it? Don’t you just love Matthew 11:28-30? “28 ‘Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.’” In verse 29 we see we “will find rest.” That’s the same word we are looking at in Romans 4:1. We have obtained rest. How? By simply coming to Jesus.

In Philippians 3:9 we find the perfect companion verse for today’s word. “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,” There you are – our righteousness is His, not ours. And we are “found in Him.” What else do you need? Nothing! He is all we need to find or obtain. Have you found Him?

Lord God, I thank You that everything I will ever need I have found in Christ.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Faith, Justified, Salvation, Scripture, Works

BY FAITH

ROMANS 3:28

“For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

As part of my role as Global Ministry Shepherd for Every Man A Warrior, I need to fly from time to time. I don’t mind flying, but I have to admit that it does not hold the same level of excitement it did years ago. One thing remains the same. I have to trust the pilots, flight crew and flight maintenance staff when I board that plane. When that plane takes off from the ground, climbing to over 30,000 feet, I have to place my faith in these people (whom I do not know) to keep me safe and bring me safely back to the earth.

In today’s verse, Paul makes it crystal clear that our salvation is strictly by faith and not in anything we do. He writes, “justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” Actually, the word “by” is not in the text exactly. “Faith” is in the dative case. I know that blessed you but hold on. One of the ways the dative case is used in Greek is to indicate the instrument or means by which an action is performed. In this case it is used to show how we are justified. Faith is the instrument of justification. Isn’t that cool?

APPLICATION

Immediately, I am reminded of Ephesians 2:8-9. “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Can I “get in the weeds” for a moment? In verse 8 “grace” is also in the dative case which means it is the instrument by which we are saved. So, is faith the instrument or grace the instrument? Both! It is because we place our trust in Jesus and accept Him as Lord of lives (faith) that we can receive the gift (grace) that saves us.

Hebrews chapter 11 is known as “The Hall of Faith.” The author of this letter describes various saints who lived “by faith.” Each time “by faith” is used in verses 3-11 it is in the dative case. Go read that chapter and read it this way – “through the instrument of faith.” That may help you put the focus on the right thing. It was not about the persons named in these verses. It was all about their faith.

I just love the old hymns. One of my favorites is “Have Faith in God.” I want to close today’s blog giving you the first stanza and chorus. This will also serve as my closing prayer today.

Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely
He sees and knows all the way you have trod
Never alone are the least of His children
Have faith in God, have faith in God

Chorus: Have faith in God, He’s on His throne
Have faith in God, He watches ‘oer his own
He cannot fail, He must prevail
Have faith in God, have faith in God

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Forgiveness, Grace, Judgment, Mercy, Payment, Repayment, Repentance, Scripture, Works

REPAYMENT PLAN

ROMANS 2:6

“who WILL REPAY EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:” 

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Payback is H..LL.” Right? I don’t want to sound crude, but some people take this seriously. If you hurt them, they will hurt you back. If you damage them in any way, they will make you pay. Gang wars are based on this. That’s why these fights never end. Our flesh thinks we have the right to retaliate. Paul addresses today the only One who has the right to repay someone for their actions.

In verse 6, Paul references a couple of verses, according to most scholars. His words here are not the literal words of these verses but more the idea behind them. God is holy and will not allow mankind to escape judgment. Albert Barnes says this, “It is not true that God will treat people according to their external conduct: but the whole language of the Bible implies that he will judge people according to the whole of their conduct, including their thoughts, and principles, and motives; that is, as they deserve.”

APPLICATION

One of the verses in Paul’s thoughts is Psalm 62:12 which says, “And faithfulness is Yours, Lord, for You reward a person according to his work.” The first “work” is our decision to follow Jesus. Did we give Him our all? I was reading an article this morning about the Discipleship Gospel. It said (and I agree) it is, “about both salvation and discipleship. All who respond to salvation are freely saved and, at the same time, called to discipleship by faith, no exceptions, no excuses (Mark 8:34–38; 1 Cor. 15:1–8). It is about kingdom life then and there (when we die), but also here and now (in this life). It is about surrendering to the risen and saving King to have our sins forgiven and our lives changed, so that we learn to die to ourselves and live for him (Galatians 2:20).” (What is the Discipleship Gospel? by Bobby Harrington and Curt Erskine)

Another possible verse on Paul’s mind in verse 6 is Proverbs 24:12. “If you say, ‘See, we did not know this,’ does He who weighs the hearts not consider it? And does He who watches over your soul not know it? And will He not repay a person according to his work?”

Jesus makes mention of this repayment in Matthew 16:27. “‘For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.’” What is your response? I want to be repaid by God for my deeds – my good deeds, my allegiance to Him, my acts of kindness and mercy, my obedience to Him. Surrender your self-will for His will today. Then you can rest in the repayment plan issued by God Himself.

Father God, I know I will be judged by You for my works. Let every action I take reflect Your glory.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Father, Inheritance, Jesus, Scripture, Works

YOUR REWARD

COLOSSIANS 3:24

“knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

I have mentioned before in my blog about inheriting some money from my dad when he passed away. It’s important to note that all I did to inherit from him was be his son. He didn’t leave any commands for me to follow to get the money. He just left his estate which was divided between me and my three siblings. He truly blessed us.

Paul uses a Greek word in today’s verse that is only used here. It is antapodosis which “refers to the act of giving back or repaying, often in the context of a reward or recompense. It carries the connotation of a just or appropriate return for actions, whether good or bad. In the New Testament, it is used to describe the divine recompense or reward that God will give to individuals based on their deeds.” (Strong’s Lexicon) Let’s talk about that.

APPLICATION

I usually agree with Strong’s, but here I must disagree somewhat. From reading the above description of antapodosis, you might get the impression that you have “do” things to gain your “reward of the inheritance.” That is just not true. If it were, Christianity would be just like other religions which demand certain things to be done to receive “salvation.”

Paul is talking about doing thing to please the Lord in verse 23 and is continuing that thought. These deeds we do are not for salvation. All we have to do to receive salvation, and thereby be qualified to receive this reward, is to believe and receive (John 1:12). Just like my earthly inheritance was based on my sonship with my earthly father, my heavenly reward of my inheritance is based on my sonship with my heavenly father. That’s it!

Today, give thanks for your family ties with Jesus. Perhaps you came out of a religion that was based on works and you’re having a hard time letting go of that. God understands that, but He also wants to free you of the chains of legalism or works. Trust His Word. He is waiting to give you your reward based solely in your trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Father, thank You I do not have to earn Your love or my reward.

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Bible, Lord, Scripture, Soul, Works

GIVE IT YOUR ALL

COLOSSIANS 3:23

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people,”

All for one and one for all. That is a common slogan used with groups of people, whether it be a sports team or another group that must work together. A group is only as strong as its weakest member. If one person isn’t totally devoted to the group, it can show in their production. We have to give it our all.

Paul is still speaking to slaves in today’s verse. In it he tells them to “work heartily.” It’s interesting to me that the word translated “heartily” is really the Greek word psuche which means soul. It was often referred to as our breath of life or our emotions. I would rewrite this verse to say, “Whatever you do, give it all you got, as if you are working for Jesus, not people.”

APPLICATION

This verse certainly has applications for us as believers. We can “do” a lot for the Lord but are they what He wants from us? What are you “doing” right now for Him? Are you giving it your all? It is so easy to get into a rut and just do stuff. I have heard a rut defined this way – it’s a grave with both ends knocked out. We certainly don’t want to live that way, do we?

Gill’s Exposition describes this work this way. “do it heartily, not by mere force and necessity, grudgingly, and with murmurings, but from the heart, and with good will, having a true, real, and hearty affection for their masters, having their good and interest at heart, and a delight in their service; like the Hebrew servant, that loved his master, as also his wife and children, and therefore would not depart from him,”

Is that how you see your work today? Do you do it grudgingly or with murmurings? I pray today you will begin your day giving thanks to the Lord for all He has called you to do. Do it with gratitude. Do it to please Him. Do it because you love Him and want to please Him. Then your work will be a pleasure!

Lord, give me joy in all I do today for Your kingdom.

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Bible, Scripture, Thankfulness, Words, Works

WHATEVER YOU DO

COLOSSIANS 3:17

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

One of the best things my dad taught me was a strong work ethic. I had my first job as a young boy mowing neighborhood yards with my brother. Those jobs began my savings account which allowed me to buy my first car (Oh, I loved that car). I watched my dad work two and sometimes three jobs to provide for us. He never complained. He just worked hard.

But Paul isn’t just talking about working hard. He is talking about everything we do. What does not show in the New American Standard Bible is the conjunction kai which means “and.” That connects this verse back to verses 15 and 16. Reread those verses and then read today’s verse again with the “and” at the beginning. The peace of Christ and the Word of Christ will guide you to do “everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

APPLICATION

In 1 Corinthians 10:31 we read, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God.” You see, everything we do as believers of Christ is to point to God, to give glory to Him. Nothing else really matters. I love when an athlete makes a great play and then points upward. The recent Super Bowl champs’ coach gave all praise to Jesus when interviewed after the game. Glory to God!

Proverbs 16:3 tells us, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” (NIV). So, this isn’t just a New Testament thought. It goes back much further. God’s people are to honor Him in whatever they say or do. Why? Because the lost world is watching. They see everything we do. One mistake and it makes the front page news. Satan loves to point out our mistakes, our sins.

So, live in such a way that you are always aware of giving God the glory for your words and deeds. Then you will be able to give “thanks through Him to God the Father.” That is our goal. That is our purpose. Give Him glory and thank Him for all He does in and through us.

I am so thankful, Lord, for the strength You give me to honor You in all I do or say.

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Attention, Bible, Boasting, Contentment, Emotions, Humility, Scripture, Works

YOU DID NOT DO THIS

EPHESIANS 2:9

“not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” 

Pride! Boasting! It will definitely get us into trouble. Some ballplayers like to trash talk. They are always talking about how good they are and how much better they are than anyone else. The smart players leave their boasting for the field or court. They just do their job and let the results speak for themselves. Sure, they are proud of what they have accomplished, but they don’t have to brag about it.

In this part two of the passage Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul tells us rather plainly that our salvation had nothing to do with us. He says it is “not a result of works.” It had nothing to do with you. You did not do this! You have no reason to boast. God did this through His Son, Jesus Christ. It was His work on the cross. You can’t boast in that. All you can do is receive the grace He gives you through the faith He gives you.

APPLICATION

The Greek word Paul uses for “boast” is kauchaomai. It can be used in a good or bad sense. It can refer to a God-given confidence or vaunting yourself. Paul uses this word a lot. In fact, of the 38 times it is used in the New Testament, Paul uses it 36. The other two times occur in James.

In 2 Corinthians 11:30 Paul writes, “If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness.” Paul knew from the outset of his salvation that he had no reason to boast. He was struck blind and had to be led to a place where he stayed for three days until Ananias came and laid hands on him, giving him his sight back. Paul was brought low in order to be raised up to be used by Christ.

Over in 2 Corinthians 10:17, Paul uses this word again as he partially quotes Jeremiah 9:23-24, which says, “23 This is what the LORD says: ‘Let no wise man boast of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might, nor a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the LORD.” Again, it wasn’t about Paul. It was all about Jesus.

Paul points to the right place in which to boast when he writes these words in Galatians 6:14, “But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” It is only in the cross! That is where our glory should be directed. He has done all the work. Because of that, we can boast in Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Father God, I boast only in Jesus and the cross on which He died.

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