Doctrine: Faith and Works

Doctrine: Faith and Works The Arms of Faith
On a wall in the Vatican, an artist sought to express the relationship between three spiritual gifts. He represented Love as standing up attending to the needs of those around her, and Hope as looking upward with prophetic expectation. Both of them, however, are standing on another form named Faith who has her arms around the cross to which she clings for support. The Finished Work
A great many people find it extremely difficult to accept Christ's death on the cross as sufficient ransom for their sins. They want to do something themselves. "But I can't see it," said a certain cabinetmaker to a friend who was trying to show him how the death of Christ completed the work of atonement. At last an inspiration struck his friend, who, lifting the plane, moved as if to plane the top of a beautifully polished table that stood near. "Stop!" cried the cabinetmaker. "Don't you see that's finished? You'll simply ruin it if you use that plane on it," "Why," replied his friend, "that's just what I have been trying to show you about Christ's work of redemption. It was finished when He gave His life for you, and if you try to add to that finished work you can only spoil it. Just accept it as it stands-His life for yours-and you go free."

Faith Plus Works
When a soldier was leaving to fight for his country, a minister said to him, "I shall pray constantly that you may win." The soldier replied: "I don't see the necessity of your prayers. If God wants to give us victory, then He will do it without your prayers. And if it is our luck to lose, do you think your prayers could prevent this?" The minister thought for a moment and said, "All right. Take off your helmet. Take off your uniform. Put your rifle away. Go and rest. It's not necessary for you to fight. Nor is it necessary for the other soldiers to fight. If God intends to defeat the enemy, He is going to do it anyway without your arms." The soldier got the point. God helps those who fight, not those who do nothing. The sower plants the seed. That is our job, to sow the seed in human hearts. But we must also pray that God will give the increase which is salvation. Then what a joy to witness the result and to give all the glory to God!