One of the most controversial points in the history of Christianity is the relationship between grace and works. Paul gave frequent attention to this point. Among his statements were: "Do not think we can continue to live in sin just because we have grace" (Romans 6:1, paraphrase) and "By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16). Obviously he needed to correct errors about grace and works even then.

The topic of grace and works was also a key issue in the Reformation Movement and still continues to be a frequent point of discussion. Among churches of Christ, today, it has become a particularly lively topic.

There are basically three points of view one may take on grace and works, each with two variants. By looking at these along side each other, we can improve our understanding of the question and find the scriptural position in the process.

Option 1A. One may say that he will be saved by works only--earning his way to heaven. Martin Luther accused the Catholic Church of his day of this position because of such practices as the sale of indulgences and the doctrine of "penance" which called on people to receive painful punishments or recite a specified number of prayers.

Currently no church would probably overtly take this position of salvation by works but there are many individual who believe it. How often have we heard someone say, "I don’t have to go to church to be saved. I live a better life than many who go to church." This view says, in effect, "Since I avoid the really bad sins and since I provide for my family, I believe God will take care of me in judgment." Christ and his sacrifice would not then be necessary--one’s own goodness would be enough.

Of course, anyone familiar with the scriptures would not hold such a view. Jesus said, "Except ye believe I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24). Paul, likewise, said, "By grace are ye saved, through faith . . . not of works, that no man should glory" (Ephesians 2:8).

If one could keep a set of commandments to perfection, he might then claim, by his own merit, that he had earned his way to heaven, but "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). So God has told us this is not a viable option for us.

Option 1A, earning salvation by works, then, is not the scriptural position. But there is a variation on this position which has been the view of some.

Option 1B --we obey God’s commands for us to the greatest extent we can and God gives grace to make up what is lacking. Thus, we earn part of our salvation by obedience and, what we cannot earn, God supplies by His grace. In this approach there is a place for both works (man’s part) and for grace (God’s part.)

This view has probably been implied by some in churches of Christ although, perhaps, not actually described as earning what you can and receiving grace for the rest. Some, however, in emphasizing the importance of following commands may have left the impression that such obecience was a way of earning part of the cost of the trip to heaven. So by obedience to commands we come with, perhaps, two-thirds of the cost and God generously gives us the remaining third by His grace.

This view, however, is also false. The scriptures are quite clear that it is not at all by the "earning principle" that we approach God. Paul emphasizes this point strongly when he says that we are saved "by grace through faith . . . not of works that no man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8). Also in Galatians, where Paul is contrasting the new Christian system of salvation by faith with the old law he says "we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16).

Paul is here discussing two different bases on which one might seek justification: (1) the "law-principle" by which one could earn salvation on his own merit, and (2) the "faith/grace-principle" by which one seeks to be justified only by the merits of Christ. Paul does not leave a place for an approach which combines these two--part of our salvation by merit and part by Christ’s merit. We must take all of one or all of the other.

Paul certainly does not exclude obedience and keeping commandments from the "faith system," as we shall see later, but neither does he consider keeping commands a means of earning any of our way to heaven. We reject, then, any understanding of grace and works which includes earning any of our way to heaven. Those who meet God in heaven will certainly reach that state entirely through grace and not by any merit of their own.

Option 2A. If man cannot earn any of his salvation on his own, then perhaps man’s salvation is entirely up to God. This was, in fact, the view of John Calvin. He said we were saved by faith and God gives the faith. He believed, however, God chose to give the faith for salvation only to certain ones whom He chose--the elect. Under Calvin’s view, then, salvation is by faith only, as God, by His grace, gives salvation only to whom He will. Those who receive it do nothing to be chosen and those who do not receive it do nothing to be rejected. God is soverign. Salvation is entirely by His grace and man plays no part. Man does absolutely nothing to receive salvation and once he has it, he cannot lose it. Neither works nor obedience has any role at all.

This, again, is not the view of the scriptures. Peter told Cornelius that "God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that fearth him and worketh righteousness is acceptable to him" (Acts 10:34-35). By this Peter meant that God would accept anyone who chose to come to Him. Peter adds, God is "not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentence" (II Peter 3:9). How could God wish this and yet be arbitrarily choosing to save some and condemn others. Revelation 22:17 adds "he that will, let him take the water of life freely." These passages surely eliminate the view that God gives grace only to those He has arbitrarily chosen.

Option 2B. Option 2A was that God gave His grace to a select few who had done nothing to receive it. Option 2B suggests even further that God gives His grace to those He will but He gives His grace to everyone regardless of how they act or what they do. Thus salvation is universal. Still, grace comes from God to those He has chosen with their doing nothing to receive it, but, in distinction from Option 2A where God chooses only the elect, in this view God chooses everyone. After all, if God is "not wishing that any should perish," then He must plan to save everyone.

Universalism, however, like election, is not taught in scripture. Jesus said that there were two gates, one leading to life, the other to destruction. He predicted that many would choose the wide gate ending up in destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Surely the Bible teaches a hell as clearly as a heaven. Matthew 25:41 speaks of a place prepared for the Devil and his angels to which those who do not please God will be sent. And verse 46 of the same chapter says that some go into "eternal life" while others go into "eternal punishment." John 5:29 speaks of some being raised for "the resurrection of life" and of those who have done evil for "the resurrection of judgment." How could such a statements be taken to mean that all are destined for the same place after judgment and that place is heaven? II Thessalonians 1:7-9 surely clears any doubt by saying that when Jesus returns he will come "in flaming fire, rendering vengence to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus; who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord."

Option 3. If the Bible view, then, is not that salvation is by works of merit (Option 1) or that it is by free grace given by God to an elect few or to all of mankind (Option 2), then what is left? Option 3 lies in the area of "conditional grace." This view suggests that salvation is entirely by grace, entirely by the merit of Jesus’ blood. A person earns absolutely none of his salvation. All who are saved will be justified entirely by the principle of grace, producing no merit by anything they do.

Yet, this approach says, God has made His grace conditional, not giving grace to everyone. Since He made humans to be creatures of choice and since we have all chosen to sin (Romans 3:23), He will not violate our freedom of choice by forcing grace on those not requesting it.

This view says that God has made His grace available to all but those who want it must meet certain conditions to demonstrate that they are serious about wanting it. The system of "conditional grace," fits those scriptures we have considered already and others which Options 1 and 2 failed to meet. Salvation is by grace and none of merit (Ephesians 2:8). Yet there is a required obedience for man in doing something to accept this grace. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father who is in heaven." And Hebrews 5:8 adds, "though he was a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him." Salvation, then, is a gift from God but He gives His marvelous gift only to those who express their desire for it by obeying the conditions He has set forth.

As one meets conditions, he is in no way seeking to earn the gift. If I work hard for forty hours a week, I expect to be paid at the rate agreed to because I have earned it. But suppose my father dies and leaves an inheritance of $1,000,000 to me if by the time I am twenty-five I have a college degree, have a job earning at least $25,000 annually, and have a statement from an eldership that I am a member in good standing of a particular congregation. He is not asking me to earn the money, but is, rather, placing some conditions. I will seek to meet the conditions of his gift, but I have in no sense earned any of the money.

So God, in order to be faithful to His nature, has given us "conditional grace." He "wishes all to be saved" but will not violate the power of choice He gave us by giving grace to those who do not choose to meet His conditions. Neither does He require us to earn any of our salvation for we are unable to attain it in that way.

God, then, in His infinite wisdom, has made salvation available in the only system that satisfies all of these factors--conditional grace.

What, then, are God’s conditions?

Option 3A. The most common answer to this questions is "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). Martin Luther’s rejection of the "works" system of the Catholic Church of his day led him to the position that the only condition for salvation is "faith." And this "faith only" plan has worked its way into the theology of most denominations today. The typical televangelist, for example, will say, "Wherever you are, just believe right now, give your heart to Jesus, accept Him as your personal savior, and He will save you right now." They, and many others, preach that the one and only condition of grace is faith.

After all, we are saved by "grace through faith"--and, they say, anything more is of works. They would point to many verses which connect faith and salvation--"whosoever believeth on him might have eternal life" (John 3:16); "being therefore justified by faith" (Romans 5:1); "to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).

While this view avoids many of the problems encountered in Options 1 and 2, it has problems of its own. If faith is the only condition of salvation by grace, then what do the following scriptures mean:

So we come to our final option.

Option 3B. If faith is a condition because God has required faith on the part of those who would accept His grace, then the necessity of obeying whatever conditions He sets is established. If obeying the command to believe is necessary to receive grace and is not an attempt to earn one’s salvation, then obeying any other conditions God has set for grace would not be seeking to earn salvation either.

What is needed is an option for understanding justification by grace that does not depend at all on our merit but still makes the commands for such actions as faith, repentance, baptism, holy living, and suitable worship to be required, as the scriptures do. Such an option would bring all the teachings about grace, works, faith, and obedience into harmony. This option would distingush between the "works of merit" which do not save and the "works of obedience" which God set as conditions for grace. This option fits all the pieces together properly. It makes salvation entirely by grace and none by merit or works. It still recongizes, however, that one must obey all of God’s conditions for receiving initial forgiveness and for continuing to live for God, giving Him priority as a response to His grace. Yet the one serving God in this way knows that when he tries but falls short, God will make allowances for Him by His grace.

"Conditional grace," then, means meeting the conditions God’s new covenant has established as conditions. Grace is a gift from God. He has the right, therefore, to set the conditions for this grace and has revealed these conditions through His word. Meeting these conditions is essential for God has declared that such obedience is required.

But what is the difference between keeping such conditions as baptism, repentance, holy living, and correct worship and doing works of merit? If we have to obey commands, are we not, therefore, doing works of merit?

There are, of course, some similarities between Option 1B, the view of earning part of the way to heaven and Option 3B, where one is saved by grace but obeys God’s commands to register acceptance of God’s grace. Under both, one seeks to obey whatever commandments God has given to receive grace and under both one does not have to keep the commands to perfection in order to receive grace.

There are, however, some very important differences betwen (1) earning part of your way to heaven by keeping commandments and (2) earning none of your way to heaven but obeying commands to meet God’s conditions of grace.

1. "Meeting conditions of grace" rather than "earning part of one’s salvation" is in harmony with the new covenant’s principle of salvation by grace rather than by the law system of salvation by works. If we can earn any of our salvation, then, the works principle is still in force while Paul declares it null and void.
   
   
2. Under the grace principle, one is more assured of the final outcome of heaven. The one seeking to earn part of his way to heaven is always uncertain as to whether he/she has earned as much as God will expect. The one under "conditional grace," however, knows that if God’s conditions for becoming a child of God have been met and one then walks in the light by seeking to do God’s will, then God’s grace will forgive our mistakes (I John 1:6-8). God’s grace is, therefore, continually at work on behalf of those who are His children and are striving to do His will. We can, of course, leave the light for the darkness and be lost.
   
   An essential difference, then, between earning part of salvation with God’s grace covering the rest, and earning none but meeting God’s conditions, is the level of assurance that we have a hope of heaven. Under "conditional grace" we can "know that [we] have eternal life" (I John 5:13).
   
   
3. Another difference between earning part of our salvation and meeting God’s conditions is the motivation. Those seeking to earn part of the way to heaven tend to be motivated primarily by fear of not having done enough, and preachers who lean in this direction will tend to use fear as their principal motivational tool--we must do more and more or we must fear being lost.
   
   Those understanding that we are saved by grace but still must meet God’s conditions, on the other hand, will tend to draw their strongest motivation from gratitude for God’s grace. While they also will fear missing heaven and going to hell as part of their motivation, their primary drive will be appreciation for God’s grace. This gratitude will drive them to want to do all they can in God’s service because they will operate out of a different state of mind. They want to do their duty but will serve more from loyalty and love then from fear and doubt.
   
   
4. Paul makes a specific point of difference between earning part and earning none but meeting conditions when he says that salvation is "not of works, that no man should glory [or boast]" (Ephesians 2:8). One who recognizes that his justification is entirely dependent on God’s grace and none on his own works will see more clearly that there is no glory in receiving salvation. Meeting conditions still leaves God with all the glory and none for man. Earning part of one’s salvation would give man some glory, some room to boast of his own achievements.
   
   There is no place, however, for such glory to man. And this recognition gives us a different attitude as we seek to meet God’s conditions--an attitude of submission, of humility, of praise. There is no place for pride; no place for thinking "I have earned more of my salvation than others." We know that at best we are unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10).

Having seen that the scriptures teach that God’s grace is availble to those meeting His conditions, the question must be asked, "What are God’s conditions?"

These conditions fall into two groups: (1) those God has required before one can become a partaker of the covenant of grace, and (2) those God has given to direct the lives of those in the covenant.

The scriptures are quite clear on what conditions one must meet in order to enter God’s covenant of grace. Sometimes receiving this initial gift of grace is called being "born again," sometimes coming "into Christ," sometimes being "saved," sometimes being "forgiven of sins," sometimes "obeying the gospel." All of these terms refer to that point in time when one has met God’s conditions for receiving His grace to cover past sins and thus entering a state of grace. Paul admonished Galatian Christians who had entered this state, that if they sought to return to the principle of salvation by works under the law, they were "severed from Christ" and "fallen away from grace" (Galatians 5:4) Being in Christ and possessing grace, then, are descriptions of those who have met God’s conditions to enter the covenant.

Paul earlier had reminded the Galatians of what they did to attain this state: "For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Jesus Christ. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ" (Galatians 3:26-27).

These conditions of faith and baptism are the same as commanded by Christ: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). That this was the practice of the early church is evident from conversion stories in the book of Acts. The Samaritans "believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" and "were baptized" (Acts 8:12). Saul of Tarsus obviously believed when he saw the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, but Ananias told him he must yet be baptized to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16). "And many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized" (Acts 18:8).

It is also clear that this proces of conversion through faith and baptism included a determination to turn from sin, often called repentance. This is precisly Paul’s point in Romans 6:1 where he asks, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" And then he answers, "By no means!" Conversion, he suggests, includes a change of mind about sin and those who are thus dead to sin certainly will have no desire to continue in it.

Peter’s words on Pentecost confirm the inclusion of repentance in receiving grace to forgive our sins. To those who had indicated their belief in Christ as the Messiah, Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of your sins" (Acts 2:38).

These passages could be multipied which teach that God’s conditions for receiving grace, for entering Christ, for being born into His family, for accepting the covenant are that we change our allegiance from Satan to Christ through faith, that we change our minds about desiring to sin by repenting, and that we change our status by buring the old life in baptism and being raised to the new life in Christ (Romans 6:4).

Anything less than this does not meet God’s own description of His conditions. Belief without baptism was not sufficient for Saul (Paul) who was told that baptism was a necessary step for a penitent believes to take before his sins would be "washed away" (Acts 22:16). To twelve men in Ephesus, Paul said that a beliver baptized for the wrong reason had not yet fulfilled God’s conditions and must be baptized properly (Acts 19:1-7). Peter told believers they must yet repent and be baptized to receive remissions of sins (Acts 2:38).

A few additional comments on baptism will be beneficial since it is on this condition that there is much controversy.

1. Being baptized to meet one of God’s conditions of grace is no more performing a work of merit than believing or repenting would be. In fact, baptism is not something one does, only something to which one submits.
   
   
2. One not baptized by immersion would not have followed the manner of baptism in the scriptures where it is uniformly portrayed as a burial and would not, therefore, have met this condition for grace as God has presented it.
   
   
3. The person being baptized must understand that baptism is the point of entrance into the kingdom, the moment when grace is initially received. The scriptures offer numerous illustrations to be sure we have this understanding of baptism. We are "baptized into Christ" (Galatians 3:27); at baptism we "put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27); at baptism the water transports us from the old sinful world into a new clean world even as the flood waters did Noah (I Peter 3:21); baptism is compared to Jewish circumcision, the point at which covenant relationship was established (Colossians 2:11-12); in baptism sins are "washed away" as dirt out of a garment (Acts 22:16); it is only after baptism that one has buried the old person he/she used to be and is raised to new life (Romans 6:4); and it is with baptism that we enter the body of Christ, the place of all spiritual blessings (I Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 1:3).
   
   Based on these scriptural descriptions, surely a person who was baptized thinking he/she had already been saved, was already cleansed of sins, was already in Christ, was already receiving grace would not have been baptized for the right reason. Such baptism should not be trusted as having met the condition of baptism as God has described it any more than baptism by sprinking would. Always baptism is described as the "line of demarcation," the point at which one leaves the world and enters the kingdom of God. A person who is baptized without such an understanding of baptism would surely not have understood enough of what he/she was doing to have been baptized with the baptism of the scriptures.
   
   
4. The scriptures always portray those being baptized as adults who are making a conscious decision to establish a relationship with Christ on His terms. Infant baptism does not, then, follow the description of the Bible because the person does not understand what he/she is doing. Adults, likewise, who do not understand that baptism is to be the point of change, the point of leaving the world and being translated into the kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13; 2:12-13), surely do not understand enough about God’s design of baptism to be following it.
   
   
5. Some have said baptism is acceptable to God so long as it is done "to obey Christ." If, they say, one knows that Christ has commanded baptism and submits to this command, that baptism is acceptable.
   
   Certainly everyone being baptized should recognize that they are obeying Christ. This, however, is not the only factor that must be met to fulfill the requirements of scripture. 
   
   One might be baptized "to obey Christ" who was only being sprinkled instead of immersed. One might be baptized "to obey Christ" who was only being baptized to meet a condition of admission to a denomination. One might be baptized "to obey Christ" who believed that he had been saved long before and who, therefore, thought baptism had no relationship to forgiveness of sins. One might be baptized "to obey Christ" who believed he had already been saved by baptism of the Holy Spirit. Surely no one baptized under these conditions would have followed the baptism described in the scriptures. While our job is to teach the gospel and not to speak for God in passing judgment on anyone, we would have to tell such persons they have not submitted to the baptism described in the new covenant and should, like those in Acts 19, be baptized in the proper fashion.

For many, life before conversion was a life which found various sins appealing and the focus of life was to participate in such sin, whether fornication, drunkenness, drugs, stealing, dishonesty, gambling, gossip, cursing, hate, impatience, anger, greed, pornography, gluttany, or dirty movies/television/reading. Others, before their conversion, on the other hand, may already have been influenced by Christian principles and have been seeking to avoid some or all of these.

After conversion, however, all are to regard sins of all kinds as out of character for the Christian. The "old man" has been put away and we now live as a ‘new man" (Colossians 3; Romans 6). Our life is now guided by three principles: (1) gratitude to God for His grace; (2) total submission to God in every aspect of life, and (3) a strong desire to bear fruit for God by serving him. We feel as one saved from drowning who says to the one who saved him, "I am yours for life. I will do what you ask; I will be your slave. My highest joy will be to do your bidding."

So we adopt a life style of commitment to God and Christ. We study to learn the kind of life God wants us to live, we associate with others with the same commitment so we can help each other, we seek ways to serve the Lord by helping others and by telling about the wonderful grace we have found and the hope it has given us.

But will we live without sin? No. John said, "I write these things to you that ye may not sin" but he also said, "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (I John 2:1; 1:8). In this same passage, John speaks of "walking in the light as he is in the light" (I John 1:7), and says that as long as we do this, God keeps on cleansing our sins. So as long as we are submissive, trying to be what God wants us to be but occasionally making a mis-step along the path, His grace continues to cover our sins.

But John also mentions Christians who walk in darkness--that is they have quit putting God first and their lives show regular, not just occasional sin. These are no longer in fellowship with God, they are no longer submissive to Him, and their sins are no longer covered. These have left the light. They may have fallen from grace because of false doctrine or false religious practice (Galatians 5:4). They may have become again "entangled in the defilments of the world" (II Peter 2:20). They may have "sinned wilfully" and "trodden under foot the Son of God" and "counted the blood of the covenant wherewith [they] were sanctified an unholy thing" and "done despite unto the Spirit of grace" (Hebrews 10:26-29). These passages make is clear that one who has been saved can choose a path of disobedience, neglect, and rejection of God and, in so doing, leave the state of grace.

So we receive grace to forgive our past sins when we become a Christian and we continue to receive grace to cover our sins as long as we continue to live a life of gratitude, submission, and service. When our attitude and effort is right, God keeps cleansing our sins but we can reach a point where He will blot our names from the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5).

Are Christians under a law then? Yes and No! The system of Christ is called "the perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25) and other references make it clear that there is some sense in which the way of Christ is a law. Hebrews 7:12, for example, speaks of a change in the law, thus indicating that both the old way and the new way may be spoken of as a law. Romans 8:2 speaks of the old law as the law of sin and death and, in contrast, we are under "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." In Jeremiah 31:33, God speaks of the time when the law of Moses will be taken away and He will write His laws on the hearts of His people. This prophecy is quoted in Hebrews 8:10 and 10:16 as applying to the covenant of Christ. We have commands to obey and there are punishments for disobedience. In some sense, then, we are under a law.

Yet, we are not at all under a "law system" in which we earn our way to heaven or earn even part of the way. We are in no way under the same type of system of law that prevailed under the Law of Moses.

Some have insisted we are under law and others insist we are not. In a sense, both are right because they define law differently. We definitely are not under a "system of law" by which one earns any of his way to heaven. But we are under a law in the sense that, even under grace, there are conditions (commands) to meet to enter the covenant and conditions (commands) to be practiced as one lives under the covenant. To strip the "grace system" of commands to obey is to make a serious error.

In sum, then, what truths have we learned about grace and works?
 

1. Of the six possible positions on grace and works, the correct one says that Christ’s covenant offers grace to all who will meet His conditions of confessing faith in him, repenting of sins, and being baptized for remission of sins. These are not works of merit but are, rather, conditions to be met to demonstrate our desire to accept God’s offer of salvation.
   
   
2. Once in the covenant of grace, a person, acting out of gratitude, will submit to all God has asked and will serve God with all his heart. One will occasionally sin but will repent and pray for forgiveness and will seek to right any wrong he/she does.
   
   
3. Those who leave Christ’s teaching, who return to a life of sin, who do not make an effort to overcome, who fail to bear fruit for their Master, will be cut-off and will no longer receive grace.
   
   
4. God has given commands as conditions of grace and obeying these commands is essential. One must obey some commands to demonstrate to God that he/she has chosen grace. After that, one should desire to obey God’s commands out of gratitude. Occasional failures, however, are covered by grace.
   
   
5. Once in the covenant, a person then lives a life of gratitude, submission, and service. The Christian will sin, on occasion, in spite of efforts not to, and in such cases should repent and pray for forgiveness, confessing the sin to those aware of it. But even though the Christian sins, he/she should live in a sense of grace and continued forgiveness, believing that God’s grace will give entrance into the heavenly kingdom (II Peter 1:11).
   
   
6. The Christian knows there are commands to which he/she gladly submits and in this sense, is under a law, but he/she is grateful to be living under the "grace principle," and not under the "law principle."