"Salvation by works" is ingrained in the flesh. The universal religious instinct of the natural man is to perform some work, to do some feat, to go through some exercise (the more painful or disagreeable the better) in order to commend himself to God and to procure His favor. The thought back of it all is, "See what I have done and am doing for thee? Now am I not worthy of thy recognition and salvation?" Sir Monier Williams, one of the foremost scholars of the sacred lore of the East, says that all those religions have one common keynote and one theme that runs through them all, namely salvation by works. Judaism in Christ's time had degenerated into that. The true faith, when it becomes corrupt and degenerate, turns into that. The "Liberalism" of our day is nothing else. Every false and fleshly religion centers around that idea of self-preservation by works of merit.

      In his natural ignorance of God and of himself, man can think of no other way. He does not know Him--neither as to His holiness, nor His love. He cannot give God credit for pure disinterested grace and goodness. He cannot conceive of a gift from God, except it be on a basis of some value received. For a free gift of grace he cannot trust [330] Him--It is too good to believe. If God notices him or does anything for him, it must surely be because of some special desert or merit. So that in the end, for whatever he has and is, he has himself to thank. Such a sentiment as

finds no place in his thinking. He must bring something in his hands to placate the offended Deity and to win the Divine favor. That all that is obnoxious to the Lord, and that it really constitutes a reflection on His character (for some things done along that line are nothing more or less than attempts to bribe the Judge of all)--he does not in his blindness perceive.

      The same error easily creeps into the Christian's life--which is one reason why he should stay in constant, wide-awake contact with the word of God. We slip from God' s point of view, to man's way of thinking by a natural gravitation. God's outlook can be got only from the Bible; but the world's outlook is that which is common to all humanity. Chrysostom had Paul's letter to the Romans read to him once every week. "If I don't do that I forget it," he said. It is astonishing how quickly we forget what is foreign to our natural notions. We are shaken out of the rut of our wrong thinking by the word of the gospel; then insensibly we lose again what we have learned; presently it is gone, and we are back on the old ground. The law stays with us; the gospel, like the sweet fragrance of a perfume, vanishes away. Works, merit, desert, judgment, these are elemental concepts, easily grasped, and familiarized by the constant remindings of experience. But all-engrossing love of God in Christ Jesus, the free gift of His grace, the new life in the Spirit, the filial relationship to God--these are exotic plants as it were, which do not grow naturally in our soil, but must be carefully planted and nurtured, and watered from above.

      This is seen in many ways. For example, a Christian sins. Now to be humbled, to be penitent, like Peter to "weep bitterly," to be afflicted and mourn and let our laughter be turned into mourning, and our joy to heaviness (Jas. 4:9, 10) is fitting and right. A man who would go on lightly when conscious of sin before God is beyond help. But take heed. Before you realize it, you may be "doing penance" and imagining that in some way with your sackcloth and ashes you are procuring God's mercy, or even paying up in some measure for what you have done. But God's forgiveness is free and freely given our of the abundance of His loving heart. ("I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy [331] transgressions--return unto me, for I have redeemed thee.") It can be obtained in no other way. It cannot be purchased at any price.

      Your difficulty is to get into a right attitude, so that God can bestow the mercy upon you (for who can estimate the pride and self-will in a sinner's heart?). The father of the Prodigal Son could not reveal his love and forgiveness to him till the son came humble and penitent to receive it. But in no sense did the son attain to, or merit, his father's love and mercy by coming home. It was there for him all the time, but he could not receive it till he came as he came. We must never forget that it is the Lord who stands knocking at our door, not we at His. The opening of the door pertains to us; but no amount of door-opening would cancel our sins, except He stood there with forgiveness in His hands.

      Again some dear souls work hard and labor and strive in prayer--not always with the right conception. Is it really so much blessing for so much prayer? Then go to it! The more prayer and the longer, the greater the blessing. Then, too, the Gentiles who think they are heard for their much speaking, are not so far wrong. But one thing our Lord wanted to teach us is that prayer is not a meritorious performance. Praying all night is a great feat, which, some seem to think, God is bound to regard. If you add fasting to prayer, especially if it makes you feel right faint and miserable--that surely ought to bring God to terms! For no doubt He delights in your hardship and suffering and your painful efforts. Surely you will get results for all you have gone through! (Of course no reflection on true all-night prayer of burdened souls or in order to commune with God is intended. Would there were more of this. Our Lord continued in prayer--once all night, at another time till the fourth watch of the morning.)

      But how are you better in your thinking than the Hindu fakir who lies on a bed of spikes, and endeavors to attain to sanctity by reducing his body to a skeleton? Or the monk who wears a hair shirt and sleeps on a bare plank, and castigates himself unto blood, thinking thereby to get nearer to God? Oh fools and blind! It is God that beseeches you to be reconciled to Him. It is He who brought the great Sacrifice, and you do not have to propitiate Him. If that were your task, you could never accomplish it. But yours is to believe, to receive, to enter in upon the boundless grace so freely provided for you. "If any man thirst; let him come unto me and drink." It is yours to come with boldness to the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace to help you in your time of need. [332]

[SBW 330-332.]

      The electronic version of R. H. Boll's "Salvation by Works" has been produced from the 90th Anniversary Issue of The Word and Work, Vol. 92, No. 11 (November-December 1998), pp. 330-332. The essay is reprinted from its earlier appearance in the magazine, Vol. 30, No. 9 (September 1936), pp. 165-167. The essay is reprinted from its earlier appearance in the magazine. Thanks to Alex V. Wilson, Editor of Word and Work, for permission to publish the essay as an electronic text.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 331:        finds no place [ finds no place
 p. 332:    "WORKS' [ "WORKS"
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 1 October 2000.
Updated 21 June 2003.