The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 45-21, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.

Question

"Recently, you appear to teach that acceptable works will determine our eternal fate, that is, heaven or hell. Do you really mean that?"

Answer

I do believe (now listen carefully) that works "reveal" our eternal fate. I do not believe they "determine" it. What determines it, is our faith in Jesus Christ, but what proves that, that in fact has been determined is the evidence in our life. Now, I said it last time and I will say it again, the cause of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ plus nothing (no works). But the consequence of that is works. Let's see if I can illustrate this.

I was riding with a man who was an executive in a seminary, and he said to me, (we were talking about something and I saw a Liquor Store) and, He said to me, "Oh yes."

I said, "That's an interesting thing, it's called the 'Finest Liquor Store'. What a strange name for a Liquor Store--The Finest."

He said, "Oh, that's a chain, they are all over the place."

I said, "Really?"

He said, "Yeah, I know the man that owns them. He's in my Sunday School class!"

I said, "He is?"

He said, "Yeah, he comes regularly. He's been coming for years."

I said, "Is he a Christian?"

He said, "Oh yes, he's received the Lord."

I said, "Well, is the rest of his life in order, or is this something off. . . ?"

"Well, not really" he said, "He's been shacking up with a young girl and he has left his wife and so forth."

I said, "How long has that been going on?"

"Well its been going on nearly a year now, and we have been trying to work with him and so forth."

And then he said this to me, "You know, I just can't understand how a Christian can live like that?"

And I looked over at him and I said, "Have you ever thought that maybe the guy is not a Christian?"

And he said, "Well I remember when he prayed the prayer."

I said, "What prayer?"

"Well, the prayer that invited Christ into his life."

Is that what saves you? I mean, you say, "All right Lord. . . ." I know that there is one theologian in America who says, "If you say that to God on a dare, He has to save you, no matter what your life is after that!" Is that true? That's not what James said, "Faith without works is. . . ." what? "dead!" That's not what Hebrews 3 says, when it says that you will enter into rest "if you hold your confidence fast to the end." That's not what James said, when he said, "You better be a doer and not just a hearer or you will wind up deceiving yourself."

You see, the point is this, works do not determine your salvation--they just manifest that you really were saved. Do you see the point? So that when God judges men He will judge them on the basis of their deeds, because their deeds will manifest whether, in fact, they are regenerate or not. That's the issue. I do not believe in works salvation, neither do I believe in a salvation that has no works that follow it. I mean, we have a lot of people in that boat.

People sometimes say, "I know so and so and I know that they don't go to church and they are living an awful life, but I remember the day when they went down the isle." Well, do you know what it meant when they went down the isle? It meant that they went down the isle! Do you know what that meant? It meant that they went to the front, and it didn't mean anything more then that they went to the front. Because if there is nothing there, James says, "Then don't tell me that's faith, because faith that has no works isn't faith at all!" I mean, if you believe that the Bible says, "If any man be in Christ, he is a. . . ." what? "a new creation," then you have got to believe that has to be manifest.

Now some people are tough to figure out, because it is possible for a Christian to fall into a lapse of disobedience. And it is even possible for a Christian to fall into a lapse of disobedience and never come out of it because the Lord takes him home. Right? Some of the Corinthians died in the middle of their disobedience. Ananias and Sapphria were snuffed that fast, right in front of the whole Church, and you know what the word was, "Don't join that organization--one false move and your dead!" I mean, "You better be serious about that bunch." And that was just after they had given the biggest offering of their life. The problem was they told God they were going to give it all and they didn't. Don't make promises to God that you don't want to keep. I mean, we don't want to haul people out.

So please understand that I do not believe that you are saved by your works. But I believe God can look at your works as the objective proof that you have been saved. And He will look at your works and see the pattern of righteousness, not just relative human goodness, but true righteousness born of a love for God. And He will also see that your name is written in the Book. Subjectively and objectively, you belong to His kingdom. That's the issue.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
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Email: tony@biblebb.com 
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