Book 4 of Musings Know Your Works

When the Lord spoke to the seven churches of Asia He often said, "I know your works."

Isn't this surprising? The common teaching today is that God does not know our works because we are saved "by grace." There is no question but that the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation, the passages setting forth the rewards to the victorious saints, are about works:

Working hard and persevering.

Testing the apostles.

Persevering and enduring hardships.

Leaving our first love.

Hating the practices of the Nicolaitans.

Being faithful to the point of death.

Remaining true to the name of Jesus Christ.

Not renouncing our faith in Christ.

Eating food sacrificed to idols.

Sexual immorality.

Love, faith, service, and perseverance.

Remembering what you have received and heard, obey it, and repent.

Keeping the Lord command to endure patiently.

Holding on to what we have.

Being neither hot nor cold.

Be earnest and repent.

In the light of this emphasis on behavior, how is it that we can teach and preach that we are saved by an unconditional grace independently of how we behave?

The rewards to the victorious saints, mentioned in these two chapters of the Book of Revelation, are those we normally associate with being saved. Yet they are promised to those who behave in a certain manner. This is clear, it seems to me!

The Lord knows our works. Our works will determine whether or not we receive the inheritance we suppose will be given to all who profess faith in Christ regardless of their behavior. At least this is what the Bible says!

Suppose we do not work hard and persevere. Do we eat from the Tree of Life in any case?

Suppose we do not test the apostles. Do we eat from the Tree of Life and gain eternal life and immortality in the body in any case?

Suppose we leave our first love. Are we still given access to the Tree of Life?

What about the remainder of the works mentioned. Can we forget about these two chapters and still gain the inheritance?

My opinion is that the entire Bible is the inerrant Word of God. I don't care if every Christian minister in our country claims we can forget about the works mentioned here and still receive the inheritance. I know they are incorrect.

I think it is time we got back to the Bible. How do you feel about this?

Today's emphasis on grace as an alternative to godly behavior is not coming from the Lord Jesus. Jesus told us in the last days false prophets will appear and deceive many people. The great deceptions of today are the attempted use of grace as an alternative to moral transformation, and the destructive doctrine of the pre-tribulation "rapture" of the believers to keep them from suffering. Many Christians have been deceived by these two errors.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Rev 3:15-16)