Eph 2
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
In these three verses we find ample amount of doctrine as it relates to our salvation. There also can be found in these verses antagonism toward the gospel if not applied in the right manner. We will examine this passage, in hope, to make things clear.
I see the gospel of God from start to finish in these verses. There are two key components we must look at. These components are the words “grace” and “works.” These two words, in one aspect, stand in opposition to each other, but in another way they complete each other. If you misuse either one, you will become an enemy to the gospel of God.
Verse eight and nine speak of justification. Verse ten addresses sanctification. Justification is God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous before God. We also call this act by God as being saved.
Sanctification refers to the act and the process of growth in which those who believe in Christ can obtain holiness.
Understanding the difference between justification and sanctification can be as important as understanding the difference between salvation and damnation. Rightly dividing between the two is of crucial importance. When you understand what they are, you can then draw a line in the sand and say, "This is what saves. This is not what saves."
What is justification?
Man being a sinner must pay for his sins and the sin nature he was born with. This payment is toward a holy God that hates sin. The payment is death. Justification is the doctrine that God pardons, accepts, and declares a sinner to be "just" on the basis of Christ's righteousness which results in God's peace and salvation.
As said before, verses eight and nine in our text deals with justification. What must we do to be justified? Nothing. No work is needed. Most relate to God as good, and feel they must do good in order for God to like them. But these verses tells us that human conduct or "works" plays no part in the justification of the sinner.
In fact it could be argued that being a good person hinders seeing your need for salvation. The reason being, is that a good person will see himself as not that bad. A good person often fails to understand good works has nothing to do with salvation. The passage says “that not of yourselves” and “not of works.” Its not what you do that makes you right before God, its what Christ has done. It’s taking on the attitude that you know you can do nothing, and you place all your hope and faith in the death of Christ and what He has done to save sinners.
It’s like being before God and Him asking…”Why should I let you in to Heaven being that you sinned on March 4th of 2006?” Do you feel that if you remind God that you gave $1000 to a mission that year that it would make your case better? God’s Word says, it’s not of yourself, or your works, so this would be a worthless statement. Would you then bring up the fact that you went to church? If works do no good, you have lost your case.
The only reply that will see you through is for you to say nothing and point to Christ who says “I paid the price for that sin.” And God would continue to go through each sin, and you keep pointing to Christ. You realize it’s nothing in your good things you do, but in Christ’s work on the cross. This is the attitude that the sinner must take before his own death. Seeing nothing in him, he places all his trust in Christ for salvation.
1 Tim 1:15
That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief
That is justification.
What is sanctification?
Lets get a definition from a theologian on sanctification
By A.A. Hodge; revised by B.B. Warfield
The soul after regeneration continues dependent upon the constant gracious operations of the Holy Spirit, but is, through grace, able to co-operate with them. (2) The sanctifying operations of the Spirit are supernatural, and yet effected in connection with and through the instrumentality of means: the means of sanctification being either internal, such as faith and the co-operation of the regenerated will with grace, or external, such as the word of God, sacraments, prayer, Christian fellowship, and the providential discipline of our heavenly Father. (3) In this process the Spirit gradually completes the work of moral purification commenced in regeneration. The work has two sides: (a) the cleansing of the soul from sin and emancipation from its power, and (b) the development of the implanted principle of spiritual life and infused habits of grace, until the subject comes to the stature of perfect manhood in Christ. Its effect is spiritually and morally to transform the whole man, intellect, affections, and will, soul, and body. (4) The work proceeds with various degrees of thoroughness during life, but is never consummated in absolute moral perfection until the subject passes into glory.
Works are a part of sanctification. Looking at our text again, verse eight tells us by grace we are saved/justified. Grace is the key component here. Not of works verse nine says.
Sanctification is found in verse ten in the growth of a believer. We are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. “Good works” is the key component in this verse.
Justification gives the sinner the right to "work". Sanctification gives him the heart to "work." Justification gives him a new status, while sanctification gives him new habits.
Notice the passage starts with grace in justification with no works, and ends with a “walk” in our sanctification by works. If you change the order of these you will attack the gospel. Salvation/justification comes before sanctification/”Christian walk” and has nothing to do with works. Sanctification uses works to bring us to a higher level of growth in Christ. As we mature, sin has less and less control in our life.
If we were to place work into salvation we become a Pharisee trying to be good in order for God to like us. If we misuse grace after salvation saying we need not obey God’s laws for we are free in grace, we will still have our salvation, but will never grow in our sanctification. If you have no desire to grow, you have no life in you. Sanctification grows in us, as we are willing to follow God’s leading. But please note that sanctification is also by grace.
Our text tells us, “We are HIS workmanship”. The word workmanship here is applied to sanctification.
"The very God of peace sanctify you wholly"... (I Thess. 5:23).
"The God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ. (Heb. 13 :20, 21).
According to these statements, the worker in sanctification is God, and the subject worked upon is man. But unlike salvation, in sanctification we walk (work) as the Lord leads. This work in our walk with Christ not only is after we are saved, but has nothing to do with keeping our salvation. Just as our bodies get stronger as we exercise, we get stronger in our faith as we walk with Christ and not just sit there.
Cults blur the meanings of the two terms and misapply these truths found in God's word. The result is a system of works and an earning of their salvation which only leads to damnation. This is because by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified (Gal. 2:16). Because man is sinful even his best deeds are stained and filthy before God (Isaiah 64:6).
Typically, in cult theologies, a person is not justified (declared righteous in God's eyes) until the final day of judgment when his works are weighed and a reward is given or he is found worthy of his place with God. Thus, a person with this errant theology can not claim 1 John 5:13 as their own which says,
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God."
Can a cultist know he has eternal life? No. He cannot. But a Christian can.
People in cults don't understand the difference between justification and sanctification. Therefore, they must depend upon a cooperative effort with God to have their sins forgiven which is, essentially, combining the filthy works of man (Isaiah 64:6) with the holy work of God. Sanctification and justification are not to be mixed. They can't. Salvation is by grace through faith, alone. To believe anything else is to miss salvation.