Salvation and Works

The unity of God’s Word amazes me. The idea that God used many writers over 1500 years in different locations to write a book with perfect unity speaks to the supernatural nature of God’s Word.

Isaiah 58:6-11

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house: when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, “Here I am.” If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

God is telling His people that what He desires is for them:

To break the bonds of wickedness

To set the opposed free

To share their bread with the hungry

To provide homes for the homeless poor

To cover the naked

The outcome is that:

Our light will shine

We will be healed

We will have the yoke of sin and condemnation removed

God will guide us

God will satisfy us

God will make us strong

God will make us like a well-watered garden

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is obeying God’s desires, being used by God, and being blessed by God with blessings that multiply, which blesses others.

In Matthew 25 Jesus says that when the Son of Man returns He will gather  all the nations and divide them into two groups: the sheep and the goats.

He will say to the sheep, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, saying ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will say to you, ‘as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it to Me.’ ”

The Son of Man will then turn to the goats and tell them to depart from Him because they are cursed. They did not feed the hungry or give water to the thirsty or welcome the stranger or visit the sick or those in prison.

The goats will ask when they failed to do that. The king will say that when they failed to do it to the least of these, they failed to do it to Him.

Jesus is saying that if we as His followers minister to the powerless of our society then we are ministering to Him.

The result of ministering to the powerless in the name of Jesus is that we inherit the kingdom.

The result of not ministering to the powerless in name of Jesus is that we will not inherit the kingdom.

The blessing is that we get to be Jesus to people who need Jesus.

The curse is that we fail to be Jesus to people who need Jesus.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is ministering to the powerless, the down and out, and the outcast in the name of Jesus and seeing that as a blessing.

In Matthew 6 Jesus tells us that we as His followers are not to be obsessed or even focused on what we will eat or drink or what we will wear. The people who are not followers of Jesus are focused on those things.

We as followers of Jesus are promised by Him that He will take care of our needs. Our obsession, our focus, is to be the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is trusting God for our personal needs and seeking above anything else God’s kingdom and His righteousness.

Works do not earn salvation because is a gift from God out of His grace.

Works do not make God love you because God already loves you.

Works are what flow out of our experiencing God’s grace and surrendering our lives to Him as Lord.

Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God’s workmanship or His masterpieces that were created in Jesus for good works. God had prepared those works for us before the creation of the world for His honor.

Works show that our faith is real and centered in Jesus and His Word.

It is not good works → salvation.

It is salvation → good works.

Good Works in Jesus Name Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                                      Joe