WORKING YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN

Preached by Gregory W. Lee
29 January 2006

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Phillipians 3:1-11

1. Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
2. Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.
3. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh--
4. though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5. circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;
6. as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
7. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9. and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
10. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11. and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

-- the other day, a friend of mine came to me and work and started talking about a book that she had read on faith and works -- she asked me, "Have you ever heard of the 'Parable of the Bicycle?'" -- and then she shared with me this parable
-- there once was this little girl -- about 6 or 7 years old -- who decided that she wanted a bicycle really bad -- so she went to her father and told him, "I want a bicycle and I'm going to earn it all on my own" -- so he told her that when she thought she had enough money to buy a bicycle to let him know, and he'd taker to the store to pick it out
-- so she started doing jobs around the house -- unloading the dishwasher -- taking out the trash -- things like that -- and every time she did something, her parents would give her some change -- a quarter here -- a dime there -- until finally, she felt that she had enough money to get her dream
-- so her father carried her down to the store and they hunted and hunted and finally found the perfect bicycle -- she walked up to it, looked at the price tag, and her face fell -- there was no way she could ever buy that bicycle -- it cost way too much and she had only earned $0.67 -- but then her father stepped in and paid the rest and she got her bicycle
-- the point of the parable -- my friend said -- is that you do all you can and then Jesus steps in and makes up the difference
-- when she finished I replied, "That was a great and noble sentiment, but it is patently false -- it's not true -- the parable is flawed"

II. Thoughts on the Parable of the Bicycle
-- as I have reflected on this parable and done some studying in the Bible this week, I have decided that this parable illustrates two problems that a lot of us have in understanding salvation and the role of works in salvation

-- the first problem that we have is thinking that we have to do something to get saved -- that we have to do good things or good works -- go to church -- be nice to people -- help people out -- read our Bible -- go to Sunday School -- something -- anything -- to be saved
-- we understand that the Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose on the third day proving victory over sin and death -- we understand that we receive salvation when we accept Him as Lord and Savior through faith
-- but if we're honest with ourselves, there is some place deep in our hearts that believes it can't be enough to simply believe in Jesus and be saved -- that is too easy -- we have to do something to make up for all the bad things that we did in our lives -- we have to do all we can -- and then, just like the parable of the bicycle says, Jesus will step in and make up the difference and pour out His grace and save us
-- what's wrong with that way of thinking? -- aren't works part of the Christian life? -- doesn't Jesus expect us to go out and serve Him and do good things and come to church?

-- hold your place here in Philippians and turn over to James 2


14. What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
15. Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

-- James says that faith without works is dead -- that you are justified by what you do and not by faith alone -- isn't that exactly what this parable teaches? -- isn't this what we really believe in our heart of hearts? -- that simply trusting in the death and resurrection of Jesus is not enough to be saved?
-- all of us -- to some extent or the other -- tend to believe that we need works in our life in order to be saved -- we may disparage those other religions who put an emphasis on works as the way to salvation -- but we do it too
-- in our minds, we have this little checklist that we carry with us through the day -- and as we do good things, we kind of mentally check them off in one column -- and when we do bad things, we check them off in the other column -- and then at the end of the day, we compare our good things with our bad things and then decide how our day was -- was I good enough to be saved today?
-- but, is that biblical? -- is that what James is really talking about in this passage?

-- turn over to Ephesians 2:8-9 and let's get a different perspective

8. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
9. not by works, so that no one can boast.

-- Paul tells us quite plainly in these verses that it is by grace that we are saved -- not by works -- not by anything that we did or anything that we might do in the future -- we are saved merely by the grace of God -- received through faith -- and works has absolutely nothing to do with it
-- sounds like James and Paul are on different pages here, doesn't it? -- so, what's the truth? -- is the parable of the bicycle right? -- do we have to do all that we can -- do we have to do all the good works we can -- and then Jesus will step in and make up the difference? -- or is the parable of the bicycle wrong?
-- Paul was quite adamant in his teaching that you are saved merely based on the blood of Jesus -- on the death and resurrection of Christ -- and nothing more -- in Rom 11:5-6, Paul said that we were chosen and saved based on grace and not on works -- he said that if it were by works, then grace would no longer be grace
-- now we know that grace is God giving us something that we don't deserve and can't earn on our own -- grace is a gift from God freely given -- so what Paul is saying is that God has offered us the grace of salvation through Jesus Christ -- and that if we try to pay Him for that offer of salvation by doing works, then God's gift is no longer a gift -- grace is no longer grace
-- it would be like this -- what if I were to invite you over to my house for dinner -- and you came and accepted my offer of a free meal -- and then, after the meal, you wrote out a check to cover your portion and left it on the table -- that meal is no longer a gift -- Paul is saying that it is the same way with salvation
-- in Galatians 2:16, Paul writes, "We, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." -- Paul is very consistent in his teachings and in his understanding of salvation -- salvation is a free gift of God -- it comes by grace and it is received through faith -- not by works -- in fact, if you try to earn your salvation through works, then you have negated the grace of God and are not truly saved

-- that is why Paul is so incensed in this passage we read from Philippians -- at this time, there were a group of Jewish believers called Judaizers who had come into the church of Philippi and were telling the Gentile believers there that they weren't really saved because they hadn't done enough -- these Judaizers were saying that you had to do more than just believe in Jesus through faith -- you had to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic Law
-- these men were setting up a qualification for grace -- they were trying to say that you can only attain salvation through human efforts -- you have to do what you can and then God will step in and make up the difference -- and that was opposed to what Jesus had taught and what Paul was teaching
-- so Paul called them dogs -- men who do evil -- mutilators of the flesh -- men who added to the gospel -- who said that the blood of Christ was insufficient for salvation and that you had to do good works in order to be saved
-- so Paul went back to the beginning -- he wrote the same things to them again so that they would be clear -- you are saved by grace -- through faith -- and this not from yourselves -- it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one may boast
-- Paul said that if anyone had reason to boast -- if anyone had reason to trust in their own good works -- then it was him -- because he had more reasons to put confidence in the flesh and in the works of the flesh than anyone else -- but Paul didn't put his confidence in the flesh or in the works of the flesh -- he put his confidence in the grace of God that was shown through the death and resurrection of Christ
-- so, according to Paul, the parable of the bicycle is wrong -- you don't have to go out and earn your $0.67 first so that God will step in and make up the difference -- you don't have to be circumcised or be Jewish or be a Pharisee or follow all of the Law -- God -- through His grace -- would just carry us to the store and buy us the bicycle without us having to do anything in the first place

-- so, what about James? -- is James teaching something different than Paul? -- it seems like Paul and James are in a heated argument -- each disapproving of the other's gospel -- but, that is not really the case
-- Paul and James are using similar language but they are addressing two different questions -- Paul is addressing the question of how one becomes a part of God's people -- how one becomes saved -- and he is quite clear in saying that you are saved by grace through faith and not by works
-- James, on the other hand, is not addressing salvation in his discourse but is addressing a different question -- how do you know if your faith is real or not? -- James says that if you are saved -- if you have been transformed into a new creation by trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior -- then you demonstrate your faith through your works -- through your actions
-- there were many in the church in James' day that claimed to be Christians, but who were not showing evidence of a transformed life -- James was calling them to discipleship -- to living up to the name they claimed -- "faith without works is dead," he wrote -- in other words, if you claim to be a Christian, then you need to show the fruit of your salvation through your works -- for both James and Paul, works come after faith as evidence of a transformed life
-- so, on this point, the parable of the bicycle is wrong -- works are not required for salvation -- you don't need to show Jesus $0.67 so He will forgive your sins

-- now, let's look at the other problem this parable brings out
-- the second problem -- which is related to the first -- is in thinking that we could actually do something that was of any value to God in the first place -- in other words, this parable assumes that when we go to church or when we help someone else or when we do something good, God counts it on the plus side of His ledger -- but does He?
-- look back at verse 7

7. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9. and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

-- Paul says that everything that we do is considered a loss in the eyes of God -- he says that they are considered "rubbish" -- the KJV goes even further and calls them "dung" -- absolutely worthless -- of no value at all
-- so, going back to our parable of the bicycle, what Paul is saying is that this little girl might go out and work and work and work trying to earn money for her bicycle, but that everything she does has no value at all and won't amount to one penny in real money -- in other words, there is nothing that we can do on our own that is worth anything to God
-- in John 15:5, Jesus said "apart from Me, you can do nothing" -- apart from God, our works and our acts of service and goodness are nothing -- they are rubbish -- they are dung
-- in an illustration on the radio this week, Allistair Begg gave a great illustration of this point -- he likened it to a person who goes into a bank several times during the month to make deposits -- you actually go in the bank -- you hand the teller your deposit slip with your money attached -- and you know they received it so you have a pretty good idea of what your account balance should be
-- but then, at the end of the month, when the statement comes in, you are shocked to find that you have no money at all -- it turns out that instead of crediting your account every time you made the deposit, they actually subtracted those amounts from your account -- so everything you did trying to build up your account actually ended up going in the negative column
-- Paul is trying to make that point here -- you can't be saved through works because your works have no value -- no matter how much you try -- no matter what good things you do -- they have no value to God at all -- in Romans 7:18 it says, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature" -- because of that, we can't do anything good for God -- try as hard as we might, we can't even earn the $0.67 that the little girl supposedly earned in this parable

-- which brings us back to the entire point of my message -- you cannot be saved by works -- you cannot add anything to your salvation through works -- you cannot, in any way, contribute anything to the forgiveness of your sins -- there is absolutely no way on earth for you to be saved -- as Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, "with man, this is impossible"
-- but, thanks be to God, there is a way by the grace of God -- through the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus -- through faith and trust and confidence that Jesus did everything that was required for our salvation -- "with God, all things are possible" -- even the redemption of sinners who can do nothing on their own but believe in God's only Son

III. Closing
-- so, in closing, let me ask you this question -- what about works? -- if works have nothing to do with our salvation, then what value is there in works?
-- as James so eloquently points out, works should naturally flow from a transformed heart -- works won't save you -- we're clear on that -- but works are evidence of your salvation -- if you are saved, then you should be working for God -- not for anything that you might get -- but out of a changed heart and out of gratitude for what He has done for you through Christ Jesus
-- works are important for Christians -- but they don't help non-Christians gain salvation
-- I pray that this discussion today has helped clear up some misconceptions that you might have had concerning faith and works and I pray that this message might lead you to even greater praise of the One who has saved you by His grace