Faith Alone?

One of these statements is different from the others. Can you guess which one?

A)I do this to remember

B)I do this to honour God
C)I do this to enter into worship of God
D)I do this to ensure my salvation

Statement “D” is, of course completely different from the others.
Are more or extra sacrifices necessary to ensure our forgiveness?
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

To those who eagerly wait for him. Remember the Psalm: I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence cometh my help? My help comes from he who made heaven and earth.” (ps 121)  It was the poor sinner, the tax collector who did not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat upon his breast and said: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” that God justified. Our Lord did not declare all the works, ceremonies and perfections of the Pharisee to be cause for the Pharisee’s justification. (Luke 18:13)


Now, what if that tax collector had gone down to his own house, sat down in his kitchen and told his wife: “Dear, I have prayed for God’s mercy today. I sense He has extended His grace to me. I have faith, in fact, that Our Lord has forgiven me my sin and propensity to sin. Yet I doubt this will last long unless I become like that Pharisee I saw while there. Surely there must be a limit to God’s kindness; therefore I must commence works of righteousness in order to build up a credit with Him.”
“My dear husband”, his wife might respond. “I do not know how God decides things, but I do know that all the ways you have disappointed me cannot be atoned for by any good deeds you may do me. It is because I have chosen to forgive you that I haven’t knifed you in your sleep. If you wish to do good deeds for God, well. But if you think that only by doing such will his favour and forgiveness be kept intact – think again!”

Galatians 2:16 “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
“ that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law”
How simple can it be? So simple that “not even a fool need go astray” (Isaiah 35:8) Yet, we men can’t seem to continue in grace. We not only have a tendency to impose rituals upon ourselves, but also upon others; telling them they are justified by faith in Christ and participation in sacramental deeds.
Galatians 3: ”O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain–if indeed it was in vain? 5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?– 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.”
Some might protest: We are not attempting to be justified by observing Old Testament Law!  So. God’s law couldn’t fix, save or justify anybody, but your new laws can?  Galatians 3:21b “if there had been a law given which could have given life , verily righteousness should have been by the law.”