Hi Passionate Youth Reaching Out, today is Tuesday June 7. My name is Grant and this is Start Up, helping you start your day with an upward focus. Today we wrestle with two competing thoughts. We are saved by faith, and God judges us according to our works. How can those two things belong together.

Romans 2:5–11 (HCSB)

5 But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. 6 He will repay each one according to his works: 7 eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness; 9 affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 11 There is no favoritism with God.

Let me highlight verse 6, “He will repay each one according to his works.” The person who does evil will be punished, the person who does what is right will be rewarded.

The first thing that comes to my mind is that we are saved by faith in Jesus and not by own good deeds, or works. I can’t earn God’s rewards by doing good works like reading my Bible or helping people who need it. God’s reward of salvation is only available through my faith in Jesus Christ. So how does that doctrine of salvation by faith alone walk along side of this statement in verse 6, “He will repay each one according to his works.”

What is it that makes a work good? I argue that it is a persons heart that makes their work good, and not just the good deed by itself. Here is what I mean, a pure heart will do the right things for good reasons. We can’t have a pure heart without God’s saving power. When we become Christians, he changes our hearts to be right, and soft, and good. Now, our works come from a place of righteousness that we get from Jesus. Now our good works aren’t our own, they are just an overflow of our lives that are being formed and shaped by God himself, and God will judge his works to be good. Even though we don’t take credit for these works, we still take responsibility for them. Thankfully, God has given us his Bible, his Church and His Holy Spirit to help us in our obedience.

What I am saying is that we are saved by Jesus, and this gives us a new heart that does good works by its nature and not just by our choices. So when God judges us, he is judging more than just our actions, he judges the heart behind our actions. The only way to have a right heart, is by faith in Jesus.

Here is your Challenge. I know that this is the last week of classes for many of you, and maybe the last time that you will see some of your friends for the summer or longer. I challenge you to write a kind and encouraging note to someone this week who you might not see again for a while.

All of the current information for our youth group is online at hbcyouth.ca. We are also on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, just search for Hawkwood Youth.

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