Works

[themattman]

I have a good friend that is always telling me that the sermons that i like. Or quotes that inspire me are always full of works. He claims that having freedom in Jesus, means your actions are forgiven. You don't need a sermon to remind you the need of a savior, because you already have that freedom.
My response is, then why do we meet each Sunday for church? Don't we need to have a continual need to hear the word so that it fills up our heart and helps us remember the need for a savior? I could go and on, but could someone help me out with this.
Matthew

[mattfivefour]

What does God tell us, Matthew?

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB)

"Your word I have treasured (stored up, hidden) in my heart, that I may not sin against You." (Psalm 119:11 NASB)

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4 NASB)

"What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification." (1 Corinthians 14:26)

These would indicate the importance of hearing God's Word and receiving instruction from it. Further God has set in the Body of Christ, which is the Church, "some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13) This would indicate that the preaching and expounding of the Word among Christians is of utmost importance in the building up of those in the Church ... and at the same time makes plainly clear the necessity of doing so!

Even Paul said he did not think he had "already obtained it (the goal of being in Christ) or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:11 NASB) How much more we?

I would suggest that anybody who believes that the perfection of faith and the most important result of freedom through Christ "means your actions are forgiven" does not understand either man's need or God's provision. In fact they are in danger of believing the Antinomian heresy of freedom from God's law. God never terminated His Law, only its outward imposition through commandments. Now God's laws are written in our minds and on our hearts ... as we allow the Holy Spirit to operate. If the result of a person claiming to be saved is nothing much more than that the belief that they have freedom in Christ, and if there are no changes at all in that person, then they have most likely accepted a head knowledge of the effects of Christ's sacrifice and have never experienced a heart knowledge through Biblical repentance and the new birth that we receive from Christ.

Pray for your friend. When a person's primary thought is on the freedom of the penalty of their sins rather than on how to please God with their lives, how to become more pure in fact, how to draw closer to God and walk with Him as did Adam in the Garden, then I worry about their salvation. How sad for a person to have known all about it, but to never have known it!

I pray this helps.