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 70-15, 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. Copyright 1994 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

Since Christ purchased our liberty consisting of our freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemnation of God, the curse of the law, and everything else that came with the saving work…and since God alone is Lord of the conscience, do we, in our trying to keep our conscience pure in the sight of God, find ourselves working out our salvation by works, and not by faith? 

Answer

Philippians two is the text that comes to mind, in verses 12 and 13. Philippians 2:12, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” and then verse 13, “for it is God who is at work in you.” And all I can say is, it’s God working in us, and it’s us working it out. The person who’s a legalist will say, “I achieved it, and God was happy with what I achieved.” But, the right attitude is, “God did it in me, and I’m grateful that He overruled my fallenness to do it. That’s the difference. The difference is attitudinal. I know in my own life, I have to mortify sin. I have to work out my salvation; work what’s on the inside on the outside in my conduct. And, yet, when it’s all done, He gets all the glory. The legalist takes the glory and offers it to God and expects God to be happy with his achievements. Okay, so it’s an attitude.

Question (continued)

You mentioned in your preaching--I think it was three weeks ago when you started about the conscience--that once we feel this guilt, we ourselves deal with it and confess it…And that’s how I understood it. And then just, you know, forget it. I was talking to a friend of mine and we got into “Well isn’t then that like-‘Okay, if I did something wrong, I’m just going to make sure I kind of put it away’” and we dealt about this working out our own salvation…

Answer (continued)

No, I think you need to put it away. I think, you know, if you’ve confessed it and repented of it, the Lord has forgotten it, what good is there in your remembering it? In fact, the longer you remember your old sins, the more likely they are to become new temptations.

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

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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