If We're Saved by Grace, Why Are We Judged by Our Works? | Table Talk S03 E13

We've come to our 13th conversation in this Hard Questions series, and we've saved maybe the best for last because we get to delve into the question, if we're saved by grace, why are we judged by works? And that means we get to talk about grace, which makes it perhaps the best topic, because there's going to be a lot of good news in this discussion. I believe.

We have a perspective that I think God has put in our hearts. We've had lots of conversations over the years and have grown in our understanding of the Gospel to such a degree that it would be an understatement to say that we're excited about this subject. Huge understatement. Yeah. There are just countless people out there who desperately need, as we desperately need to see subjects such as the judgment in the light of the Gospel. Amen. And so there are lots of people, I believe, who are living under the burden of believing that the judgment somehow precludes grace, or somehow it's all about grace. But then, oh, when it's all said and done, I'm on my own. And somehow grace is no longer anything that applies to my ongoing standing before God. So with that, we need to lay a foundation. We don't want to jump to the judgment during the time right before we're starting. James said in this conversation, we need to just really focus on grace. And we all just said, amen. Of course that's where we need to focus. But we can't avoid the fact that there is something called the judgment. It will happen. The Bible is explicit about it, and we will be judged by our works. So what about the foundation? Where do we go with this?

Ephesians 2?

Well, we can go. I think there's probably 100 scriptures that you could start at, maybe a thousand scriptures that you could start at. But there's, I think, only one place, at least for me, there's a single place to start in answering the question, if we're saved by grace, why are we judged by works? No one will be able to apprehend an accurate answer to that question if they do not first understand what the Bible teaches the gospel is. So that would be like somebody saying, okay, what is algebra? What is geometry? And they're still working on their times tables. Right. Not to suggest that the Gospel is simple, but that it's foundational. If we don't understand the answer to that question, trying to get to the judgment, good luck. There are lots of people who understand the judgment who don't understand the Gospel and therefore, guess what they don't actually understand the judgment.

The judgment.

That's right.

That's right.

So there's a million texts. I mean, Paul is a great place.

To start Ephesians 2. And I think even though we want to start right in verse eight, I think we should go back to the context of that chapter and start in verse one.

You he is quickened, who are dead in trespasses and sins. That's where we all begin. Where in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air and the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience, among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of our flesh. And we're of the mind, excuse me, and of the mind. And we're by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in Mercy, verse 4. For his great love, wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins, quickened us together with Christ. By grace you are saved. And raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and. And his kindness toward us through Jesus Christ. For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works. Lest any man should boast. Stop right there.

It's beautiful. We're looking here at where we were sinners, walking in the desires of the flesh, lust of the flesh, walking according to the world. And while we were sinners, while we were enemies of God, he quickened us, made us alive, made us alive, and saved us by grace. Now, that phrase saved by grace is emphasized twice. And I believe one of the reasons why it's emphasized is because it is the grace that is bestowed upon us, the grace that has appeared unto all men. It is that grace that allows us to even have life. In order to comprehend the grace that eternally saves us, God has to do something for us in Christ Jesus before we even know that he's done something for us in order to give us life to so that we can grope after him and find Him. And he does that. And then he goes on to say, I think in an eternal sense, for you're saved by grace through faith, not of yourself. And there's the through faith part. First, one is just by grace you are saved. But then it's through faith, not of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of works. Lest any man should boast. Now there's the works part that's added to that. I think verse eight is describing the part that is eternal and it's precluding works and it's suggesting faith. Whereas the first one is just saying you've been saved by grace. God has done something for you in Christ in order for you to have that second part, that experience.

The word gospel is never used in this passage. And yet beautifully, what Paul has described is the Gospel.

Amen.

The good news is described here first of all against the backdrop of the problem. The problem is that we're sinners in the first few verses, in verses one through three. But then in verse four. But God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, that's powerful. This is describing the, the motive of God, what's moving God toward us as sinners because of the great love with which he loved us. He reaches out of Himself to save us by his grace alone. Now this is a significant passage because it tells us that we're saved wholly by grace and that works have no purchasing power for our salvation. So if that's the case, we come back to our question. If we're saved by grace, why would we be judged by works? You see what I'm saying? If we're saved by grace, why judged by works? That's what we're inching toward. But I think we need to further lay the foundation. We need to pour the foundation of the gospel. So this is one gospel passage. How about you, Jeffrey? David? Anything else regarding the gospel itself?

So I'm going to just stay in Ephesians 2. Where are you going?

No, go ahead. I'm not going anywhere.

I agree with everything James has said. Of course, everything Ty said love that the problem that Paul is addressing here is not only sin, but it's that which is the result of sin. And that is being dead. He says you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, verse five, even when we were dead in trespass. So if you wanted to, you could sort of look at it in a two part formula. Mankind faces two problems. I face two problems. You face two problems. We face death.

Right.

And that which causes death, which is sin. So sin and death are the twin problems that are facing humanity. And the question then is, how will God rescue us? Well, he certainly bestows grace and he certainly has an attitude of love toward us that causes. That's the motive for Paul, though. The centerpiece of Paul's gospel is an historical event that took place in the man, Jesus Christ, that consummated in his resurrection. It was the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. That is the historical event by which God shows the motive of his heart and by which he demonstrates that he's saving us by grace. And that's exactly what Paul says in verse six. He says he has raised us up together and made us sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That's resurrection language. We were dead. If you're dead, okay, I'm not really fond about this whole death thing. I don't like this death thing. Well, the Bible doesn't just say that we will die in some historical sense, in some medical sense. It says you are dead. You are dead in trespasses and sins, because the wages of sin is death. Well, if you're dead, you got a major problem, a problem that only one thing can solve, and that is a resurrection. You need to be raised. Well, how will we be raised? And we will be raised because of this historical wonderful event in which God condescends to become a man. This is the gospel, the holy history of the man, Jesus Christ is the gospel. It's the good news. God becomes a man. He walks a mile in our moccasins. He lives the life that we have not lived. He dies the death that we deserve. He experiences the burial that should have been ours. But there's not a period there, there's a comma, and he was raised from the dead. This historical event is for Paul, for Jesus, for all the biblical writers, the centerpiece of the Gospel. We've got to be there. In fact, Paul is so big and broad and beautiful with his language that he says we are sitting with Christ in heavenly places. In Paul's thinking, we're already there.

It's a done deal.

It's a done deal.

Yeah. The whole course has been walked in the person of Jesus.

It's been accomplished in Christ.

Well, you were just quoting there. You were basically kind of quoting 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul gives the definition.

That's right.

Of the gospel.

Just for our viewers, I'd like to just look at that real quick. In 1 Corinthians 15, 1, Paul says, I'm declaring the gospel. And then he defines what that gospel is in verse three. For I delivered to you first of all, that which I also received. And then here's the definition that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, verse 4, that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. So that's a very simple foundational definition of what the Gospel is.

And scholars believe that what's taking place there in First Corinthians chapter 15 is that what you have is an actual early, like an early oral tradition of what the gospel is. There's a doxological sense there. And what that means is that this, there's a rhyme. There's not a rhyme, but a meter. There's a sense that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. In a pre literary society. You're a Christian, you come to my town, I'm a Christian, I go to your town and you say, do you believe in Messiah? Yes, I believe in Messiah. Well, which Messiah? Right. There's no Internet, there's no Twitter, there's no Facebook. There were lots of messiahs in the days of Jesus. There were lots of promising young Jewish upstarts that were the Messiah. So what you worry about? Oh, I'm. I'm a believer in thudas. The Messiah. I'm a believe in, you know, believer in Judas. There were different figures that the Bible speaks of. Okay, well which one? No, no, no, I believe in Jesus.

What?

Jesus of Nazareth? Yeah, the one that died according to the scriptures, that was buried, that rose again the third day according to the scripture.

Love it.

Okay, same one. That's the gospel.

And I love the double emphasis on according to the Scriptures. According to the scriptures, that the gospel is not merely pointing us to an event where God entered into time and space, but that that event was a fulfillment of a promise that was given according to the scripture. It was anticipated because God promised it and it took place. So I like that.

I'd like to just add a few brushstrokes to the picture that you guys are painting because the language that you've brought to the table is really meaningful in the broader context of Paul's theology. David, you said in so many words that Jesus in himself represents a holy history, that there's a historic act that occurred in the person of Jesus Christ and his life, death, burial and resurrection and ascension constitutes the gospel.

That's right.

How about this language from Paul in Romans chapter 3, where he says in verses 23 and 24, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This is very fascinating to me. Redemption is described here as an accomplished reality in Christ Jesus. It's a done deal in him. This is what we might refer to as the Objective achievements of Christ in himself, apart from the participation of any human being. And this is what Paul has in mind when he says, we're saved by grace through faith, not of works. We can't contribute anything to the achievements of Christ. The Christ event itself is basically the remaking, the redoing, the retraversing of the human experience. And he redeems the whole thing. He completely reestablishes a new humanity. And there it is. It's done. And then you went further, David. You said not only did he live and die and was buried and resurrected, he ascended. And then Paul does something very fascinating in ephesians, in Ephesians 2, he says, okay, Jesus is up there, he's ascended. And he says, we're seated with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. And what Paul means by this is that our complete human representative is right there in the throne room of the universe. So reason it through this way. Even if hypothetically, and this isn't the case, but hypothetically, even if all of us and every human being said no to the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, that salvation is still in Christ Jesus. Jesus is an accomplished fact in Christ. And faith is the mechanism by which we identify with the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. Or said another way, faith doesn't manufacture facts. Faith lays hold of the facts of the gospel that are present in Jesus Christ.

There is a simple. And I'll just. This will be so quick. There is a reason, a very simple, practical, pragmatic, utilitarian reason why we cannot make any contribution to.

The accomplished fact of the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It happened a long time ago.

It's historic.

It's historic. How, pray tell, would you add something to that? It's in the books, you know, as the filmmakers would say. It's in the can, you know, it's wrapped up, it's done. Right. How are you going to add something to that?

Guys, I love this, because this is laying a deep, solid foundation in the fact that we are saved by grace. And if we can lay this foundation as deep as possible, I mean, we can go some more layers on this. We can lay this as deep as possible. It will be the way that we can best understand, judged by works. Because what we have to do is we have to completely dismiss the idea that our works save us. And if we can establish the fact that we're saved by grace, that idea will, before we even start, it'll be gone.

Okay, I kind of cut you off there, Jeffrey. I just really didn't Want to lose that point about the basic historical nature of an event. It's done. That happened.

I'm going to add something to that in Christ Jesus.

But now it's your turn, Jeffrey, in his holy mystery. Now we're going to let you have this time.

David's going to know what I was going to say.

David. Oh, serious?

I forgot.

It didn't work.

Serious.

Well, since you forgot what you were gonna say.

Here we go.

Since you forgot what you were going to say, I'll just add one feature because we're talking here about salvation and judgment. Jesus lived and he died. He was resurrected and ascended. Now watch this. In chapter 12 of the Gospel of John, Jesus referring to his death on the cross. Watch this.

He's on the cross. He's dying on the cross. And he says, now is the judgment of this world. So not only was the life of Jesus a perfected.

Re establishment recreation of the human being.

Amen.

His death on the cross exhausted the judgment.

Yes.

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for you or me to undergo and to face the judgment on the terms of our sin. We can actually enter into the judgment, point to Calvary, and identify by faith with the fact that the judgment happened in Christ right now at Calvary, the judgment of this world.

Boom.

Done deal.

Ty, we have to look at one verse before we close. I know we need to close this section, but just to back up to the Scripture that. Okay, second Corinthians, chapter five. Yes, second Corinthians, chapter five. And verse 14 is where it begins. But I think you can go further on this. But we'll just stop with verse 14. We can always go into this a little bit more. But notice what it says here. And I'm just going to read it in the context of the new King James and other translations. This is how it reads. For the love of Christ constrains us, which means motivates us. Because we thus judge that if one died for all, then all died. In other words, what you just said, Jesus exhausted the judgment. The punishment that should have come not just to us who are believers, but to the entire world. And if he died for the entire world, then that judgment was exhausted in him. Everyone died that death. Everyone's punishment for sin, everyone's reward, everyone's wages of sin was brought together and paid for in Jesus Christ.

That's astounding. But it does raise the question, then why is there a judgment at all? And that's where we need to begin probing forward in Scripture. When we come back after the break.

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So we've laid a really good foundation in the gospel. And we've basically come to the conclusion that something monumental was achieved in the person of Jesus Christ. What was achieved in the person of Jesus Christ? Everything pertaining to our salvation. There's nothing we can contribute to that achievement. Jesus walked the entire gauntlet for us. He endured judgment on our behalf.

He.

He achieved perfection in his humanity and he died for us. He rose again. He ascended to heaven. And it's this kind of language that Paul employs when he says things like Galatians 2:20. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who died for me and rose again. Notice the language.

That's the first verse I memorized when I became a Christian.

Is it?

Yeah. That's good.

Did he say it right.

No, he didn't not. That's okay. He loved me in gaze.

It's a beautiful passage.

Yeah, keep going. You get the most important love for me.

No, that's not what she said. No, that's right.

No, that is correct.

Okay, so the part that I'm trying to focus on here is I am crucified with Christ. When? Well, in the Christ event itself, the historic event that you referred to back there at Calvary. This is a representative death. This is a death that is being engaged in by the ambassador of heaven coming down to earth and representing heaven on our behalf. And here we have before us a monumental achievement in Jesus Christ that includes the judgment according to John 12, 31 and 32. So with that foundation laid, then James took us to 2 Corinthians, chapter 5. And James, you went to verses 14 and 15.

That's 14.

Yeah, 14 and onward. But you guys, look, go back up to verses 10 and 11. The context here to the gospel he's about to break down is the fact that there is a judgment. Verses 10 and 11. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord. We persuade men, but we are well known to God. But we are well known to God. And I also trust we are well known in your consciences. What's he saying here? He's essentially saying, yes, we're all judgment bound. Everybody's gonna stand before the judgment seat of Christ. And it's in that context that he says, we're compelled by the love of Christ. Jesus.

Moves us in love toward him because his love toward us was a representative death that included all human beings. He goes on to say that God is reconciled to us, not counting our trespasses against us, by virtue of the achievement achievements of Christ.

Ty, this is so powerful. These texts are so powerful. I've never seen them before in the context of the judgment. This is the first time I've noticed. I mean, I know those verses are there. I've read this many times, But I've noticed that these verses that follow in the context of the judgment. In other words, in a nutshell, God is saying to us, listen, there's going to be a judgment. And because there's going to be a judgment, you need to know the gospel and you need to know Jesus. And you need to know that God is reconciled to you. And you need to know that he doesn't regard you according to the flesh. And you need to know that you have a whole identity, a new creature in Christ. And you need to claim that that's yours. He became sin for us.

That's the concept.

He became sin for us. So if you want to be able to stand against. And I'm going to say it this way, Revelation 12:10. Against the accusations of the devil, the accuser, you need Jesus and what he's done for you.

But that's another point there. We must all appear before the judgment, seat of Christ. And the reason that is an important point is because when people normally think of the judgment, they think of that bad people are going to be in the judgment. Right. It's always going to be negative. We must all appear, even believers, even the saved. Excuse me. Which preempts something that will come up here soon. I hope that the judgment is not necessarily bad. It's not in a negative connotation. The judgment has a bigger purpose that the lost and the saved are affected by. Right.

So unpack that. No, you say more. Unpack it.

Yeah, unpack it.

The judgment.

Unpack that bag, that suitcase.

If it's true that everybody, both the saved and the lost, will be in the judgment.

Right.

That totally removes the idea that it's just think about the way we use the language. Don't judge me.

Yeah.

When have you ever thought about that phrase with a positive connotation?

Old Testament, David's experience, Judge me, Lord, judge me. He says it over and over again. Oh, sorry.

Well, the whole point was to create a tension. He told me he packed the bag.

And then he grabbed the suitcase out of your hand.

He didn't grab that suitcase, open the bag.

Okay.

But that's exactly the point. That's exactly the point.

I wish I wouldn't know where you were going.

Who do you. Have you ever heard anybody say, lord, please judge me?

No, because we think of that in the negative connotation, and it's a. It's a very narrow and incomplete picture of the judgment. Why would a prophet say, lord, please judge me?

Because that prophet is expecting a positive outcome to the judgment, not expecting a negative outcome.

Love it. That's exactly what I was trying to say.

Yeah.

It's this.

On what basis would the Old Testament prophets, such as. Or Old Testament prophets and writers such as David have expected a positive outcome?

On the basis of knowing Christ for sure. Or God.

Right.

Yeah.

So we're talking about David. So we can't anachronistically read back. You know, David didn't have the writings of Paul, he didn't yet see the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. So I'm asking the question, how would.

David have known with a forward reaching faith in Messiah?

Right.

He definitely had the sacrifice.

How would he have known the story.

Of judgment, sacrificial service, sanctuary service. We have a step by step process, process that is outlined that again outlines the path that Jesus actually traversed on our behalf.

James.

Psalm 73. Thank you, Connor. Psalm 73. I was envious at the wicked.

Yeah, that's right.

They were not slippery in their head.

I just read this two days ago. Then I went into the what sanctuary.

And saw their end. How foolish was I? And ignorant.

Yeah, that's right.

Very pointed.

And so the judgment is hope that God will bring an end to.

I don't think we should pass by that scripture. Just saying that in passing. What scripture? Where is the Psalm 70?

Unpack it. Psalm 73 or 73?

Psalm 77?

Well, maybe it's 77. I don't know. I thought it was 73.

David, is that what you were getting at when you were asking the question on basis?

Yeah, right.

Would David have expected a positive outcome to the judgment?

Yeah, that's exactly the question that I was getting at. It's saying, and this is really powerful.

Go ahead.

No, I was just going to say, how would David have known? We go from Paul and John and Jesus and then we're like, see, David said, judge me O Lord, because he anticipated that the outcome would be positive, not negative. So we say, okay, well how did he know that? That's all I'm asking.

What's so powerful about this? Notice what he says here. Where are you@psalm73 1 and 2. I'm just going to read 1 and 2 and then we can paraphrase the rest if you want.

Maybe not.

But here's what he says. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such who are of a clean heart. God is good to the good guys. But as for me, verse two, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped. So he's here at least talking about some kind of experience where he's not a good guy, where he's struggling, he's backslidden, my feet have slipped, I've backslidden. He says God is. And then he's going through all of these pictures of the way that it seems like the wicked are prospering. And then he goes into the sanctuary and he sees their end.

That's in verse 17.

Yes, verse 17 is where until I went into the sanctuary and Then I understood their end. Surely God set them in slippery places. And I think what David is saying here in the context is, you know what? I'm a believer in God, but I'm a backslider. The good guys are going to make it, but the backsliders aren't. Maybe I should hang out with the wicked because it looks like they're having a good time in this planet, this earth. Things are going well for them.

He even says in verse four, there are no pangs in their death.

Yes, yes, they've got it.

Well, that's his whole point. It doesn't seem like it says verse five, they're not in trouble like other men.

Verse 12. They prosper in the world. They plague like other men, they increase in riches.

I've cleansed my heart in vain.

I've washed my hands in innocency. I can't do this. I can't do this anymore. Then I go into the sanctuary, and what do I see? I see that the end of the wicked is lost. But there's for those who believe in something more than me washing my hands of innocency and me trying to keep up the good works to make it to heaven. There's something there in the sanctuary that I see that gives me hope. And that sanctuary is like you said, David, that is this Lamb that trod the winepress alone of the people. There was none with him.

Yeah, well, verse 28, it seems like he's come full circle and he's gotten over his bout with depression. And in verse 28 he says, but it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all your words.

Wow.

Isn't that something?

Yes.

So I guess David was grappling, but then he realized, wait a minute. It is good for me to draw near to God and put my trust in him, because the end of the wicked is going to be that they're going to face a judgment alone, without God as their advocate in that judgment.

And also in the context I've backslidden. I can't.

So he knows he's a sinner.

I can't do this, not on the basis of this. So it's good for me to trust in his works, in his righteousness, which is what the sanctuary teaches. It's beautiful, beautiful picture. Righteousness by faith right here.

Okay, so are there other passages of scripture that put the judgment in a positive light?

Daniel, chapter seven.

Before we go there, Romans 14. I just want to touch on this. Romans 14 is so powerful because God Paul is dealing with a church that is divided between Gentiles and Jews. And they are just. They're all in the faith, he says in verse one of Romans 14. But they are, and these are the words he uses. They're judging one another and they're despising each other.

Okay?

And in that context, and they've got these little variations of belief, of depth of experience, for example, I think the issue here, of course, if you look at the context, is that the converts from Judaism are dealing with these extra things that they're doing that makes them feel like they're more righteous than the Gentiles, the ceremonial laws, etc. And the Gentiles are just like, full of faith. Paul actually describes the Jews as weak in faith and the Gentiles full of faith. They just have full trust in Christ. And they don't have to do any of these things because it was easier for them to discard things that they never did practice for hundreds and hundreds of years. But the principle is powerful because he brings it to this head. In verses 10 through 12, he says.

So you were just in verse one, right?

I was just explaining, summarizing the context of it. And then in verses 10 through 12, this is where it comes to the punchline. He says, but why do you judge your brother? Or why do you set at naught your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For as it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, every tongue shall confess to God. So then, and every one of us shall give an account of himself to God. Let us therefore, because of the judgment, let us Therefore, verse 13, not judge one another anymore. You are off the hook, brother. You are off the hook, sister. You no longer have to take up the burden of judging or criticizing your brothers or your sisters. Even with these little variations, you are off the hook. God has a judgment. We're all going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and he is going to call everyone into account.

So you don't need to sit in judgment.

You don't need to sit in a judgment, but you should do this rather. He says, verse 13 again, latter half, rather. Let no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. That's what you need to be about. That's what you need to be about. Not judging people, but doing everything you can to lift them up, to remove the stumbling block.

This is interesting then. One of the good features of believing in the judgment is that we can be free from any need to judge.

That's good.

That's powerful. We can just say.

There is a judgment.

Yes.

And I don't.

No one's getting away with anything.

Yeah. I don't need to sit in judgment on you or anybody else.

Which is good for.

That's not my department.

That takes a lot of energy, doesn't it?

That's not my department.

That takes a lot of energy to sit in judgment of everybody all the time. Liberating.

And he's talking here about individual judgment. We understand that there's a church that has accountability, that it calls its members to. We understand all of that. And I don't want to preclude that. I just want to say that this right here is where we as individuals are let off the hook. And that's a super good news.

There's another passage, Ty, that I want to read.

Okay.

Daniel, chapter seven. There's this prophetic sweep. Obviously, we don't have the time to unpack it all, but I just want.

To have a few minutes. Make sure you give the background, because people won't know where we're coming from.

Right. In Daniel 7, beginning in verse 17 and 20, those are the verses I will not read. It's mentioned different symbolic nations and kingdoms that arise on the scene of world history. But when you get down to verse 21, it says, I was watching, and the same horn was making war against the saints and prevailing against them. So there's some kind of a prophetic insight here.

That the saints, which is the people of God, would be.

Victims of war, persecution, some form of persecution. And then in verse 22, the answer to that, or the hope to that, is that the ancient of days comes into the picture and it says, and judgment was made in favor of the saints. In my new King James Bible, it says, in favor of the saints of the Most High. And the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. So judgment was given in favor of the saints of the Most High. That goes back to our original point. 2nd Corinthians 5:10. All must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, both the righteous and the wicked. So here's the thing. Depending on the perspective that you look at, the judgment will determine if it's a positive or a negative thing.

So it could be negative.

Of course, if you're the accused, if you're the guilty.

Are you looking forward to that appointment, that little slip you got in the mail or whatever, that you have to appear before the judge? But what if you were the plaintiff? What if you were the one crying out for somebody to intervene in a situation? What if you were the one appealing.

To a higher power or to a.

Higher authority and forwarding a complaint that you have been wronged?

You follow what I'm saying?

Yeah, yeah.

In that context, the judgment that day in court is a day you look forward to because it involves your vindication. Right?

Yeah.

So I think in that sense, that's another reason why. Another example where the Bible presents the judgment in a positive note in favor of. There's people that the judgment will be in favor of. So it just depends on which angle you're looking from.

Really? Absolutely. Well, Daniel's been strange and quiet, so I want to give him some time.

To talk about the thing that I like about Daniel 7 here and the way that. I love that it ties in with what James was saying about Romans 14. I think that's good. Romans 14. You don't have to carry the burden any longer of judging others, because that is not your department.

The actual context of Daniel chapter seven, which you addressed just briefly, is that there is a power that presumes to take that very seat.

That's exactly what.

And God looks down and says, okay, here's a power. It's a religious power in the historical context, sitting in the place of God, ostensibly my power. This is the way that this power is posturing itself. This power is the church. It's the medieval church. And God is looking down and saying, well, wait a minute. The problem I have with their judgment is that it's totally out of harmony with my own judgment. In fact, I'm going to stand in judgment of the power that is judging inaccurately and falsely, the saints of God.

In judgment of the judgment, verse 11.

That's exactly right. So it's in that sense that judgment is given in favor of the saints. It's as if God shows up. There's a kangaroo court that's going on. That's the term. There's a kangaroo court. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a sham. And God shows up and says, no, no, no, no, no, let's do a real judgment here. And when that real judgment is done, the judgment by this ostensibly, allegedly religious power is shown to be, in fact, at diametrical odds with the judgment of God, which is in favor of the ones who are being persecuted by the church itself.

David, David, David, think about this. This is so powerful. The point you just brought up is so powerful. Let's make it even more. Just take it one Step further. That system presumed to judge people and put them to the flames who were establishing themselves and others on being saved by grace, by grace through faith and not of works, lest any man should boast. I mean, it's. So we've come full circle now. We've come from Ephesians all the way around, through the prophetic chapter of Daniel all the way back around that same platform, prophetic platform that we. I'm just going to confess this, that we.

I got one more thing.

Our own church have somehow maybe missed just a little bit in our focus. And we've got to bring it back to this focus, or a lot of it.

We got to bring it back a lot of it. Let me just close with this. In Daniel, Chapter 9, the Ancient of days is there. Here comes the Son of man. Daniel chapter seven. Excuse me, Here comes the Son of man. In this whole judgment thing is going on. Paul understood this clearly. Paul understood Daniel, chapter seven. There's huge indications that both Paul and Jesus knew and knew well the prophecies of Daniel, the book of Daniel. He invited us to do the same. But here's what I love. In two passages that we've already looked at, 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Romans 14:10, the judgment seat of Christ.

Who wouldn't be comfortable? I mean, the Jesus that I read in the New Testament, I'll take him as a judge.

Yes, judgment seat of Christ, I'll take that. And every time Christ had to sit with publicants and sinners and all of these outcasts and he had to receive the criticism, he said, no, no, no, I've got to do this because I'm establishing the judgment seat of Christ.

I love it.

That's a beautiful picture. Beautiful.

Well, we have to take a break and we have one more segment though that we can delve into this further. But this is good news. It's so gratifying to talk about the judgment and to be excited about it because it's good news and not bad news.

Amen.

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This is fantastic. I love this. We have saturated, saturated, saturated the Judgment with grace. We have laid a foundation that makes the Judgment good news, not bad news. And I think we need to continue with that. But I think it's really important for us if we're going to nail this in relation to our question, we've got to understand, and our viewers have to understand what works have to do with the judgment.

Yeah.

Because we come by grace. We've talked about judgment, and now we need to bring in what the question poses.

The first verses we began with were in Ephesians 2. Do you remember that?

Yep.

And we went from Ephesians 2, verses 1, all the way through verse 9, but we didn't read verse 10. And there was a reason for that. Because I was saying in verse 10, I thought it would be important for us to go back at this point to Ephesians 2 and look now in the context at verse 10. So I'm going to read it just from verse 8. Just from verse 8, not from the beginning. Verse 8 says, for by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. We've nailed that. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Okay, that's where we stop now. Notice verse 10. This is powerful. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. Isn't that powerful?

So works are mentioned twice in the passage. In verse nine, it says that we're not saved of or by good works. And verse 10 says we are saved for good works.

Yes.

And to put it another way, great insight. Grace is mentioned first and works are mentioned afterwards. So there's a sequence there that authentic grace, genuine grace will somehow produce works.

So what comes first? Salvation or works? According to this passage, salvation. Clearly, salvation comes first and good works arise out of that salvation.

Can I read another passage on that?

Sure.

Before you leave there, I'll just make a comment on that part of the reason again that works have to follow. Salvation is the simple historical reason that our salvation was worked out in Christ in his life, death, resurrection and ascension 2000 years ago. So how can it has to be that and then this? Because this is 2014 and that was AD31.

That's present in verse 10 when it says it Says for we are his workmanship. Here's the language created in Christ Jesus and then which God beforehand prepared that we should walk in them. So this is complex language for most of us to understand. What could Paul possibly mean when he says that our works were prepared for us beforehand? I mean, if I haven't done them yet, how are they mine? And how are they prepared before I even do them? He's saying that they're prepared beforehand in Christ and I just catch up to them.

Yeah, in the sense Christ lived a perfect life, and by faith, in our union with Christ, all of those, his life and the ripple effects of his life become manifest in our own lives.

Now, there's something very significant that all of you are saying here, and I just want to bring it together.

Is that the point you were going.

To get for the viewers? And that is that it is obvious from everything you've said and everything we've read that works are part of the picture of our salvation. In other words, we're saved by grace. The question was if we're saved by grace.

I just had an idea. Keep going.

Right. Why are we judged by works? And I would like to answer that question by saying we are judged by works to see if we're saved by grace.

Yeah, that's deep.

The one reveals the other.

I think you should say that again.

We are judged by works to see if we're saved by grace. Because according to Ephesians chapter two, if we are saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works. Lest any man should boast, it will bring forth works. So we're judged by works to see if we're saved by grace. Are we truly trusting completely in the merits of Christ? Now, the reason I bring that up is because there are three verses in Matthew 7, 21, 22 and 23 that depict a group of people who Jesus say will come to him in the end of time. And they will basically say, lord, open up the kingdom of heaven to us because we have done this, that and the other. We have done all of these works. And Jesus is going to say, uh, I didn't know you.

You don't get in here on the basis of works.

You don't get in works.

Can I read the parallel. The parallel passage on this, guys?

In other words, if we're saved by grace, and if it is a gift and it's not of works, our works will be such that our dependence will be completely upon the grace of Jesus Christ, and they will not be the reason why we enter heaven. They will be the product of of our salvation, not the means of our salvation.

Where are you at in Titus, Jeffrey.

What you going to say?

Titus, chapter 2. Everything you just said, but parallels Ephesians, chapter 2, Titus 2:11.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself his own special people, zealous for good works. So again, just the link. The sequencer grace appears and it produces good works.

Praise God.

It's the same concept.

There, look now. Now let's stay right there just for a second and go into chapter three, because this is a continuum. There's no chapter dimension in the original language. So notice chapter three. And I'm just going to jump because I know we have a couple other things we need to look at. But look at this. Verse 4. But after that the kindness and love of God, our Savior toward man appeared. We touched on that in Ephesians. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us.

Saved, past tense.

Accomplished by the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed upon us abundantly through our Lord Jesus Christ, that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This verse 8 is a faithful saying. And these things I will that thou affirm constantly that. And that word in the Greek means so that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. Paul is saying here that we need to. And I'm going to say it here again, we need to affirm constantly the fact that we are saved by grace, shed abundantly upon us by our Lord Jesus Christ. Because if we affirm that constantly, we will maintain good works.

Isn't that something?

I like that.

So emphasizing grace is the means by which good works are generated.

The funny thing is though, is that there is a whole cadre of well meaning but ultimately misguided people inside of the church that think the exact opposite.

Right.

What's the opposite?

Articulate the opposite well, that if you emphasize grace, you will lead people to.

Carelessness, to recklessness, to dismiss the claims of God's law.

Yeah, that's right. And yet Paul would say all The Bible writers would say, au contraire, mon frere. Quite the opposite.

I'm not sure they would say that.

I don't even know what.

No, the Bible says.

I hear you say that. I don't know what that means or where it comes from.

Oh, contraire, mon frair.

What is it?

On the contrary, Montre.

I know. I hear that. My friends, my friends. But it must come from some. I know what it means.

I study French in.

Oh, it's in Paris.

It's French.

Yeah. So again, the point is not in.

Paris, in Rapid City, South Dakota, you know, the capital of France.

So, David. So, David, you're essentially saying that there are those who think that grace will give license to sin.

Yeah. James keeps saying, we have to saturate this in grace, we have to clothe this in grace, we have to dip this in grace. We have to. Every other metaphor possible. And I hear that. I love that. I think that's exactly right. I love what. I'm simply saying that on that last point, that we were just in there in Titus, chapter three, so that you will maintain good works, that there are.

Many well meaning but ultimately misguided people that would say the exact opposite. If we want to elicit good works, good works, the fruit of the spirit, Godliness, sanctification, we have to talk about doing good works. Godliness, sanctification. Not that we shouldn't, but that's not the real problem. The problem arises when you say, if you talk too much about grace, then that will give license, that will create a looseness, a. What did you say? Reckless or careless.

Carelessness, License to sin.

It's not true. It's not true.

And you can sense that grace is.

The only thing that can elicit actual. What you were saying, James, you were saying we are saved by grace, but judged by works in order to see if we're really saved by grace.

Did you. So we don't need to be sensitive about. If somebody is overemphasizing grace. We don't need to say, wait, wait, wait, wait.

But listen to me, listen to me. Keep going, keep going.

But what you emphasize grace. So when he says, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But we also need to.

I heard a sermon one time. I heard a sermon one time. I did tell the same audience, but I heard the sermon title and I don't even know. And the sermon title was get your butt out of here. It was just great because it was all about getting the butt that you're talking about out of the gospel. Got it.

That's a creative title.

That's a creative title.

No, that's very good.

You can use that.

Get your.

I don't know who it came from.

That's a big butt, by the way. You gotta get that one outta here. So check this out.

Follow this line of reasoning.

If we're not preaching a gospel, follow this. This is gonna sound a little dangerous, but it's not gonna be right.

We'll help you.

If our gospel, our preaching. If Ty Gibson's preaching of the gospel and James Rafferty's preaching of the gospel and Jeffrey Rosario's preaching of the gospel and David Ashwick's preaching of the gospel and our listeners, preaching, teaching and sharing of the gospel doesn't at some point, at some stage cause people to ask the question, wait a minute, aren't you doing away with works?

Then we're not preaching the gospel.

Then we're not preaching the gospel that Paul preached.

That's right, Paul's gospel.

Listen, let me read it to you. He says in verse 15, what then shall we speak?

Of what?

Of Romans, chapter six.

I'm sorry, of course, we're right there with you.

Romans, chapter 6, verse 15. What then shall we sin? Because we are not under the law, but under grace. Certainly not. Paul anticipates that people are going to say, whoa, Paul, that's just a little too much grace. Cool it on the grace thing. Take your finger off the grace button. Because if you keep your finger on the grace button, if you keep your foot on the grace petal, people are going to think that this is a license to sin. Isn't that what you're saying? And he says, no. My point is, is that if our preaching of the gospel doesn't at some point elicit somebody saying, wait a minute, are you impinging upon, jeopardizing or you.

See what I'm saying?

Works.

And we say, oh, praise God. That's a good accusation.

It definitely should not elicit. Yes, yes, we have to work. But in other words, it shouldn't be the opposite.

I had a guy say to me, what's the opposite?

In other words, we're talking about it shouldn't be there. Should we should elicit the sensitivity that we talk about grace so much that somebody would say, yes, but what about works? My point is that, sadly, it's normally the case that it's the opposite.

We preach about works, works.

And it elicits the response, yeah, yeah, where's grace? But what about grace?

That's somebody's gospel. Yeah.

That's not Paul's.

That's Not Paul's gospel. That's not Jesus gospel.

Paul was radical.

Talk about radical. I had a guy, a friend. You guys know who this is?

I won't say his name.

He came to me one time, and he's good at putting on. And he's like, hey, man, I've been studying the Bible.

Anyway, he was letting on. He's like, hey.

I think we're off on this gospel thing. I've been doing some new research, and I. We're saved by works. And I'm like, what? And he's just like, no, no, no, we are. And he's like. He's playing it up, and he did it really well for like, a good 10 minutes. I'm like, dude, you have lost your mind. He's like, no, no, we're saved by works. And then in this, like, really pregnant moment, as I was becoming exasperated, it normally happens in about the first 30 seconds, he says, yeah, no, we're saved by works. Jesus works.

Punchline.

It was like, oh, come on, man. Why do you gotta do that to a brother?

You know what?

Because my blood pressure was like, okay, okay, here.

This is.

We're saved by words.

This brings it together right here. John, chapter 6, verse 28 is where the illustration you just made comes together to answer the question that we're asking. John, chapter six, 28 and 29. This is where what you just said. The illustration you just gave. John 6 answers the question that we've asked. You gotta hurry up, because we gotta.

I know.

I've gotta hurry up.

I know that.

Okay. John, chapter six, 28 and 28. We cannot not cover these verses, okay.

Because they're really important.

Anything else you'd like to say by way of introduction?

Then they said unto him, this is the people talking to Jesus, the Jews talking to Jesus. Then they said unto him, what shall we do that we may work the works of God? What can we do to save ourselves? That's right. And Jesus answered verse 29. He said unto them, this is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he has sent. Yes, we're saved by works. We're saved by the works of Jesus.

Christ and believing in them.

And we our work, the first work we have that's going to come up in the judgment. Have you believed deep on the cross? Have you believed on the works of Jesus Christ?

For God's living, we will be judged.

By our works to see if we're saved by grace.

I think that's the best. I think that's the best way to answer that text is the best way to answer that question.

We will be judged. Judged by our works to see if we're saved by grace.

So, James, just to be clear, I want to ask this question. Are we saved by works?

Absolutely. We're saved by works. 100%. Whose works of Jesus Christ.

Love it.

Amen. That was a good illustration.

So, First John, you said you wanted to hurry up and get to First John.

Well, now we can.

What's there? Okay, let's go.

You talked about it on the break. I love that text. The boldness text.

First John is amazing.

Land this.

First John, chapter three, verses 20 and 21. No, chapter three, verses 20 and21 is the background.

All right.

He says here, for if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, then we have confidence toward God. So the condemnation is going on in us. It's going on in our hearts. And the condemnation that's going on in our hearts, Paul says here, can give way to the fact that we live before a God who knows everything about us and he doesn't condemn us. So now we can have confidence before God. Then we come to chapter four.

23.

Man, we got. We need time to slow down.

30 seconds.

Here's what I'm going to say very quickly. I've never seen the connection with Romans, chapter two there before. Their conscience accusing or else excusing. Never seen it.

Just saw it. Keep going. Chapter four, verses 17 and onward. Love has been perfected among us in this, that we may have boldness when in the day of judgment. Why? Because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love him because he first loved us. We come into the judgment according to this passage, and we have confidence and boldness before God in the judgment by virtue of the love of Christ in which we stand secure. And I love the word secure.

Thank you, Jesus.

We have security, we have confidence, we have boldness in the judgment by virtue of the accomplishments of Christ on our behalf.

Because if it was in our own works, we would never be sure. If we'd done enough, you couldn't be secure.

And we certainly never would have done enough. Of course, this has been a great series of conversations. Thirteen of them in total. Hard questions. We haven't answered them exhaustively, but this has been a good conversation.

Sam.