 we know that we are saved by faith and faith alone, faith in Christ. That's what's saved us. We are counted as righteous because of our faith, but does works have any sort of role to play in it? That's the big argument. There are some that may give an overemphasis on works. There are some that give an overemphasis on faith. And what I mean by that is to say that all you have to do is simply make an affirmation of your faith. But we know for a fact there are people who have given an affirmation of faith, who have stated they are or was called professed Christians, who actually are not. There are those who are professed Christians who aren't sure if they are, and then there are those who are professed Christians who actually are. Well, how do we know which one of the first two? How would the first two groups identify themselves? Because Paul does say to examine yourself to know. And so there are those who are false converts, who say they are, may even think they are, and are not. And then those who, again, who believe they are, but aren't totally sure. Is there a way to determine? Can we look at our works to help us determine? Well, be clear. Paul says in chapter four, as well as chapter three, which we'll go to in a second. But he says in chapter four, verse five, he says, But to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. So he's indicating that it's the faith that saves you, not the work. And then chapter three, 28, he says, For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law. So it's not the works that save you. As a matter of fact, no matter how many good works you do, you are not going to be seen as more righteous than the next person. And no matter how many works you do, or is it going to take away from your righteous standing? You're being justified before the Lord. What causes you to be unjust and rightsen before the Lord to be justified before the Lord? It is the faith. The issue is, though, when and where or do works ever play a role in our salvation? Well, the obvious answer is yes, they do play a role, but it is a secondary role. As a matter of fact, it's a role that kind of helps us to indicate whether we are saved or not. Now, again, it's up to you to do so, because I can't tell what sort of works. I don't want to get in the habit of comparing fruit. My fruit is better than yours, because what do we tend to do? We tend to overinflate our fruit and diminish or undervalue someone else's work in comparison. I might be better than that person. We don't want to get in that habit. What we want to do is look at ourselves, as Paul says. Obviously, God is going to do so. And now, the question is, how do I know? Because this cannot be a license that some would say to sin. You cannot say, well, I've placed my faith in Christ, and so I can live how I want to. I can do what I want to do, don't care about the repercussions or ramifications. I'm not remorseful for sin. Sin doesn't bother me. A person like that that I'm just describing, that's not a Christian. How do I know? And I say this, that person is not a Christian, because that's the person that's made a habit, a practice of sinning. And when I say a practice of sinning, a habit of sinning, I mean to do so with no desire to change. And Paul kind of indicates that in chapter seven, verse 18 of Romans, when he talks about the bad things that he wants to stop doing, the evil wicked things, he says those are the things that he practices. But what changes what makes us know that he is not one of those that's described in 1 John 3 9 is his desire. The word that's used there is his desire or his will. And so if your desire is to do right, but your works are wrong, well then therein lies the issue, what your desire is. We are going to do wrong at some point in time, some more than others, some less than others. But it's ultimately the heart that's in you wanting to do right. Because a person that is born again of the Spirit, that person will have a new desire. Why? Because he has a new heart. What does the Bible say in Ezekiel 36 that he will put his spirit in us and cause us to walk in his statues? That is a work that we're going to do. The work comes about as a result of the faith. And so it's not a works based salvation. It is a salvation based works that we're talking about. It's not a works based faith, but it's a faith based work. The work that we do is because of our faith, which is what James was speaking of in James two. In verse 14 he says, what use is it, my brother, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? So obviously James is trying to make a point. He says, can that faith save him? And if we go over to the right and look at it, he says, may do not tie, not able, hey, pistace, which is the faith, so sigh, out, Tony says. So not able, the faith save him. So the faith like that is not able to save him. In other words, that sort of faith is not the faith that we're talking about. When the Bible speaks of a Christian having faith speaks of a person who is in a state of believing, continual believing. Most often you'll see a present active participle, sometimes present active indicative, but a person who is continually believing, not the person who's had a temporary mental ascent to salvation. In other words, the person that says that, yeah, I believe that God did, the God did send his son and died for my sins. I believe that I, I understand that that's what's happened. That's not the faith that we're speaking of. The faith that we're speaking of is a trust that bears a living out, meaning if I trust the buildings on fire, I've got faith at the buildings on fire, then what am I going to do? I'm going to move or respond in accordance to my faith in order, in accordance to my belief that this building's on fire. I'm going to actually get up and walk and move and do something. In Hebrews 11, though, what we call the great faith hall of fame, by faith, Abraham, by faith, Enoch, by faith, even Rahab, by faith, what? They did something. Their faith in them, which is what causes them to be in right standing, their faith would end up being used by God to cause them to work. Jesus makes a statement in Matthew 513 going down. He says, you are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. So this is Jesus' word. He says, you're not good for anything. You're worthless if you are not seasoning or if you lose your saltiness. He says, you should be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. He says, you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. And so, us as believers, we are to be light in the world. And notice what he says in verse 16. He says, let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works. Yes, not your good faith. You see, they'll see your good works and glorify your father who was in heaven. And so in that regard, we can see that there is some importance to works. Anyone that will tell you that works are not important is someone that is too excited about just giving a simple mental ascent and have not studied the scriptures. Now, if anyone tells you that your salvation is based on your works, also as a person who has put too much emphasis on themselves and not given enough attention to the scriptures, you must have faith. If you never show an ounce of work, but you have legitimate faith, legitimate faith, then you are saved. The question is, what will legitimate faith produce? Legitimate faith, true saving faith, is going to produce some sort of work. How much to what degree we don't know. But if we go to Ephesians chapter two verse eight, notice he says, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that, not of yourself, it is a gift of God. And so what's the gift of God? We've covered this before. The Greek lets us know that the faith as well as the salvation are both a gift of God. And look what it says, not as a result of works. So no one can say that they had gotten there because of what they've done or they kept themselves safe because of their works. Not a result of works so that no one can boast. But notice here right here in verse 10 he says, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works. Created in Christ Jesus for good works. This word, good works, ergoi is also works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. What did God prepare beforehand? These good works that we should walk in them. What's the them? The good works. And so they were created beforehand. Things that God wants to do in us. We are the tools that he used. We are his hands as they say. We are his feet. We are the mouthpiece. So when God wants to give a word to someone, give the gospel, he uses us. When God wants someone to show some love to someone, someone is hurting, someone is homeless, someone is sick, someone is just in need of the body being around to help to pray for, he uses us. We are the ones that God is going to use. Our works is what he is going to use to spread the gospel. Now let's be clear. All works do not show your faith. Works do show your faith, but to some degree. So we don't put trust in the works to say, see this person sinned or this person didn't do that to indicate his level of faith. Only we would know what's going on internally. Why we did this. Why this didn't happen. Because again, you are going to sin at some point in your life to what degree, how much it's going to vary, especially when we compare one person to the next person. And so works don't determine if we're safe. Godly works just proceed as a result of being saved. Because of our faith, we are going to work because of our faith. We have the Holy Spirit in us and he is going to work through us. And so if there's someone that diminishes the necessity or the need for works, if there's someone that says that works have no bearing or not important in our walk, well, then that person is sorely misunderstanding scriptures. If there's someone that says that you must do certain works to stay saved or to get saved, that person's also clearly misunderstanding. The two go hand in hand. Obviously, faith is preeminent. Faith starts off and then works proceed from that. The person who says they're saved and then wants to live however they want to live. The person who says they're saved, who didn't care about his fellow fellow man, didn't want to read, didn't want to study, didn't care about studying, didn't care about the things of God. Sin doesn't bother him. As a matter of fact, sin is what he would rather do. His desire is to do those things to fulfill the lust of the flesh. That person has made a profession of faith, but actually has not ever received salvation because they have never had genuine faith. Salvation first, works second. Faith first, works second. And in that way, we can kind of understand how two go hand in hand. But clearly, faith alone is what's required all you need. But your faith alone doesn't do anything for me who needs to hear the gospel and to see the gospel. Amen.