Today I answer the question from Jeremiah Tokpa. What is the connection between faith and good works?
According to scripture, the faith that saves is God’s not the sinner’s. After you are made alive through the working of God’s faith, you are then ENABLED by the Holy Spirit to obey.
Ephesians 2:1
By Grace Through Faith
And you He MADE ALIVE, who were dead in trespasses and sins,…Ephesians 2:4-10
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, MADE US ALIVE together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through (God’s) faith, and that (the grace nor the faith are) not of yourselves; it (they are, God sees both as one transaction) is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, CREATED (that’s the new birth - the killing of the old human spirit and the creation of a new human spirit) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God PREPARED BEFOREHAND (before He created the world) that we should (believers will continue to live by their new Father’s words because they are born from above) walk in them.
Listen to God explain this process.
Ezekiel 36:24-27
For I WILL TAKE you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I WILL sprinkle clean water on you (this is the Father using His creative word to effectually call His children), and you SHALL BE clean; I WILL CLEANSE you from all your filthiness (this is the flesh) and from all your idols (this is the world and the so called prosperity that they seek) I WILL GIVE (create for) you a NEW HEART (human spirit) and put a new spirit within you (inside your body); I WILL take the heart of stone out of your flesh (kill it so that it can never ever exist again) and give you a heart of flesh (one that is alive to Me). I WILL put My Spirit within you (the seal of God on the forehead) and CAUSE YOU (this is not voluntary) to walk in (live in accordance with) My statutes, and you WILL KEEP (again involuntary) My judgments and DO (this is the first time our faith is active) them.
Ezekiel 36:31-32
Then (and only then, now that you are alive by God’s creative power, by His grace and through His faith, created anew and empowered by His Spirit), YOU WILL REMEMBER your evil ways and your deeds that were not good (now you can finally see the truth about yourself, how wicked - filthy - wretched - unclean - unholy - unrighteous - unjust you truly are in comparison to the holy, righteous, just, and true God); and (what happens when you see yourself through God’s eyes?) YOU WILL LOATHE YOURSELVES in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations. (Oh what wicked and evil people we are, although most think they are not!) Not for your sake do I do this," (God didn’t do this because you asked Him, that doesn’t take away sins neither can dead people ask questions) says the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!"
If you believe that God is sitting upon His throne in anguish waiting on sinners to “choose to Him” then you have greatly misunderstood the scriptures.
2 Chronicles 20:6
and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?
Job 23:13
"But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His soul desires, that He does.
Psalms 115:3
But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.
Psalms 135:5-6
For I know that the LORD is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the LORD pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places.
Proverbs 19:21
There are many plans in a man's heart,
Nevertheless the LORD's counsel—that will stand.
Isaiah 14:27
For the LORD of hosts has purposed,
And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?"
Isaiah 40:17
All nations before Him are as nothing,
And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.
Isaiah 43:13
Indeed before the day was, I am He;
And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?"
Daniel 4:34-35
And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heavenAnd among the inhabitants of the earth.No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?"
Romans 9:20
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?"
Does that sound like God is being controlled by the will and whim of men and angels to you? Absolutely not! The Lord God rules in the heavens and over the earth.
Romans 11:33
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!…Romans 11:36
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.