A) I am a Christian, so I do good works.
B) I do good works, so I am a Christian.
Do you see the difference?
Friends - Are we living examples of A or B?
Students - Are we being taught A or B?
Teachers - Are you teaching A or B?
Pastors - Are you preaching A or B?
It is dangerous when we confuse sufficient and necessary conditions. Mistaken reversal not only causes an error in logic and reasoning, but we essentially lose the the Gospel.
Conditional statements probably don't apply to this example, because even good people, who are not Christian, will do good works. But to those who are OF THE FAITH: Sometimes we are so caught up with "how to be Christian," that we forget our good works are in response to being Christian.
HOW WE LIVE: BY GRACE. We live because of God's grace.
WHY WE LIVE: FOR HIS GRACE. Let this grace produce great fruit in our lives. We only live to do His work. His will > our will.
We are the branches, and He is the vine. The vine can survive without the branches, but the branches can never survive without the vine. We should rejoice and be thankful for the vine that not only gives us life (salvation), but purpose (works).
John 15.
16 years ago
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