So, when we are looking at these bible examples of people doing works, can we discover if they are being done by faith or by trying to be saved?

Matt 26  (v. 6) And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, (v. 7) a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. (v. 8) But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant.… (v. 10) But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman?  For she has done a good work for Me.”

Did Mary do this work to be saved?   Is this the “work of righteousness”  or  the “work of faith”?

Her heart was filled with gratitude towards Jesus.    Why?

John 8  (v. 10) When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her: “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?” (v. 11) She said, “No one, Lord.”  And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you.…”

She was doing this good work for Jesus, not because she wanted to be saved, but because she was grateful for the forgiveness expressed to her from Jesus.  “This is called works of faith!”

Jam 2  (v. 14) What does it profit my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can faith save him?  (v. 21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

Gen 22  (v. 10) And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

So, when Abraham lifted up that knife to sacrifice his son, was it the: “work of the Law”  or was it the “work of faith”?  Was he performing this work to be saved?

Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.…The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law;  but he is incapable of rendering it.  The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith.  By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner's account.  Christ's righteousness is accepted in place of man's failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son.  This is how faith is accounted righteousness.^[1]

Heb 11  (v. 17) By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. (v. 19) accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead.…

Jam 2  (v. 17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (v. 22) Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works, faith was made perfect?

So his faith was working together with his works and (his Faith was made perfect) not his righteousness!!

In the Investigative Judgment, Jesus brings up our works of Faith; not to prove our righteousness.  But to show evidence, that we have been abiding in Him.

John 15  (v. 4) Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (v. 5) I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

In order to meet the requirements of the law, our faith must grasp the righteousness of Christ, accepting it as our righteousness.  Through union with Christ, through acceptance of his righteousness by faith, we may be qualified to work the works of God, to be co-laborers with Christ….^[2]

....We can be fitted for heaven only through the work of the holy Spirit upon the heart;  for we must have Christ's righteousness as our credentials if we would find access to the Father.  In order that we may have the righteousness of Christ, we need daily to be transformed by the influence of the Spirit, to be a partaker of the divine nature.^[2]

II Pet 1  (v. 3) as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, (v. 4) by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

In the judgment, Satan will bring up all of our sins, he will accuse us of all the things that we have done by nature.

Job 31  (v. 35) Oh, that I had one to hear me!  Here is my mark….that my Prosecutor (adversary) had written a book!

So, satan keeps a record of our sins in his book!!

Zech 3  (v. 1) Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. (v. 2) And the Lord said to satan, “The Lord rebuke you, satan!...Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

While Jesus is pleading for the subjects of his grace, Satan accuses them before God as transgressors.  The great deceiver has sought to lead them into skepticism, to cause them to lose confidence in God, to separate themselves from his love, and to break his law.  Now he points to the record of their lives, to the defects of character, the unlikeness to Christ, which has dishonored their Redeemer, to all the sins that he has tempted them to commit, and because of these he claims them as his subjects.^[3]

Now, Jesus will not deny that.  He will bring up our “works of Faith” to prove that we are resting “in Him” for our salvation.

Satan has no claim on them, because they are resting in Christ.  Jesus will rebuke Satan, is this not a brand plucked out of the fire?

When Satan seeks to cover the people of God with blackness, and ruin them, Christ interposes.  Although they have sinned, Christ has taken the guilt of their sins upon His own soul.  He has snatched the race as a brand from the fire.  By His human nature He is linked with man, while through His divine nature He is one with the infinite God.  Help is brought within the reach of perishing souls.  The adversary is rebuked.^[4]

Who is he that condemns us, it will never be Christ; He is at the right hand of the father interceding for us.

Heb 7  (v. 25) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.

The Investigative Judgment will be a time when Satan’s mouth will be shut forever.  

Before Christ can take the believers to heaven, He has to shut the mouth of our accuser.  Then we are free to enter the kingdom.

While Christ is interceding for us, what does He require of us?  See the answer on the next webpage!

References:

1. Selected Messages (book 1) p.367, par.1

2. The Review and Herald (1 Nov 1892) par.2

3. The Great Controversy [1888 ed.] p.484 “The Investigative Judgment”

4. Christ’s Object Lessons, p.169, par.1