For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does
—John 5:20

What role and significance do works have in a Christian’s life? I think this question comes up very often. First of all, we need to know and believe that our works have nothing to do with our righteousness and our righteous standing before God. If a person tries to earn his righteousness or “maintain” it by his works, the Word of God calls such works dead works. With these works a person tries to quiet his conscience, which accuses or excuses him depending on the works he has done. But our conscience is not cleansed by works of righteousness. The Word of God says: “the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God” [Heb.9:14]. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse our conscience once and for all from the needless works by which we try to quiet that conscience. Only the blood of Christ cleanses and justifies, and our works have nothing to do with it.

“But if a person’s works don’t affect his righteous standing before God in any way, doesn’t that leave him free to sin?” That it frees and releases him is well said — but not to sin. Fear of punishment does not stop a person. On the contrary, fear pushes a person to do needless works. Fear made Adam hide from the Lord instead of coming to Him. The Bible says: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” [1 Jhn.4:18]. That is why it is so important to reveal the love of Christ to people, and not to frighten them with punishment. Fear and punishment turn a person away from God, but God’s love turns a person to God. God’s love gives us wings, gives strength, inspires and gives a firm foundation.

The Father’s Love Is the Key to Living Works

Jesus said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner” [Jhn.5:19]. Jesus did nothing of Himself. When Jesus walked in the Spirit, after His baptism in the river Jordan, He did not try to act the way that is right. He did only what He saw the Father do. He made no effort, but abode in complete rest. In the next verse the Lord gives the key to understanding how He acted: “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does.” Why did Jesus do only what the Father did? Because the Father loves the Son. It is interesting that Jesus said these words after healing the man who had lain for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda.

Before Jesus began to do the works of God, He received the Father’s testimony: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” [Mat.3:17]. And as soon as He heard these words, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. Jesus said to His disciples: “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love” [Jhn.15:9]. The love of Christ is the Father’s love in action, love that has been revealed to us, love that can be seen and known, even though it passes knowledge.

Knowing and believing how much we are loved by our heavenly Father opens our eyes, and we see the Father at work. We begin to do things not because we must or because it is right, but because we see the Father at work. And how can we see the Father? Philip said to Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” [Jhn.14:8-9]. As we behold and come to know Christ, we are transformed into the same image, and, without even realising it, we begin to do things we never even suspected. Our works become not works of righteousness, but works of love.

Grace Does the Works of Love

Jesus says to the angel of the church of Ephesus: “I know your works, your labor, your patience… Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” [Rev.2:2,4-5]. Now let us compare Jesus’ words with what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: “remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,” [1 Ths.1:3].

The angel of the church of Ephesus had works, but what matters is not works, but one work — the work of faith. The work of faith is to believe in the Son whom God sent, to believe in His finished work, which justifies and sanctifies, and not in personal efforts and one’s own works of righteousness. He had labour, but this labour was not a labour of love, because he had left his first love. So what is this first love? Jesus said: “I am the First and the Last.” Jesus is the first, the original and the most important love. Which Jesus? Because sometimes Jesus can be seen as strict and handing out commandments. The Word of God says: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… full of grace and truth” [Jhn.1:14]. The truth is in Jesus and His grace, not in the law.

The angel of the church of Ephesus fell from grace just like the Galatians, to whom Paul wrote: “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” [Gal.5:4]. Having left their first love — Jesus and His grace — they turned to the works of the law. Their labour became not a labour of love, but works aimed at justifying themselves before God, not realising that Jesus is their righteousness and that works have nothing to do with righteous standing. Paul writes to them: “You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” [Gal.5:7]. Instead of the truth — Jesus and His grace — they submitted to the works of the law.

When we live in God’s grace and do not rely on our works of righteousness, but on the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ, this grace does works through us. Paul wrote: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” [1 Cor.15:10]. Notice that in this verse, where Paul says that he laboured more than all of them, the grace of God is mentioned as many as three times. It is not we who act and labour by our own understanding, or as it is written and as people say, but the Lord labours and acts in us when we abide in God’s love and rely only on His righteousness and His grace!