Our Works, Alone…with Jesus

How do we know if we have a works-based or overly legalistic view of salvation and sanctification?

Years ago, I attended a multi-day workshop on studying and teaching God’s Word. It was full of great reminders on how to approach a text and warnings about bringing our presuppositions to the text. I learned a lot. It was difficult, but meaningful. Part of the process was to create exegetical and homiletical outlines for various passages and bring them to a cohort for feedback. This particular workshop was on poetry in the Bible, and I was assigned two Psalms.

I knew I had a lot to learn, but even so, I thought I did a pretty good job in preparation. After the first few lectures, I even went back to the hotel and reworked my outlines before bringing them to the cohort. I was confident that I was “getting it”, and that my group would love my work. (Pride, anyone?)

So, imagine my surprise when the group pointed out some major flaws in my homiletical outlines! Without realizing it, I had created equations for holiness. I had broken down the text, but my applications were “do this, do that, get God’s blessings”. Wow! I didn’t see that going in! I was blind to the works-based theology I had in me, and I was willing to teach.

How often do we hear, absorb, expect, and live as though our works sanctify us?

I took the beauty of Psalm 90 (ESV):

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”

4 For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.

5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:

6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.

7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.

8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.

11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?

12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!

14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.

16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.

17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!

And I was ready to teach:

• Return to Him
• Make every day count
• Be satisfied and glad
• Work meaningfully

Now, this isn’t terrible. It’s not good, but it’s not terrible. Notice how this is all focused on what I’m supposed to do. Is that what Moses is praying in the Psalm? Is he saying, “I need to pick myself up and return to God”? Is he saying, “I need to make sure every day counts”? Is he saying, “I need to find satisfaction and choose to be glad”? Is he saying, “I need to find meaningful work”? NO!!!

It’s close, but it’s focused on me. Moses was focused on God. He wrote this Psalm in the realization of how great our God really is. He wrote about the grace, peace, power, anger, wrath, and greatness of God! He realized that he needed God for everything! He’s not saying, “Return to God”. He’s crying out to his Savior because he is in desperate need! He is appealing to God for wisdom and pity! God counts our days, but He is everlasting! Satisfaction comes from God alone – I can’t conjure it! He makes us glad – I don’t choose it! His favor establishes the work of my hands – I don’t make my work meaningful!

Oh, how I missed it! And, oh, how easy it was to miss!

You may be wondering why this is a problem. The things I put in my outline are good things. Aren’t we supposed to go to God? Isn’t it good to make everyday count? Isn’t satisfaction and gladness better than discontentment and despair? Shouldn’t my work be meaningful?

Sure. These can be good things, but the focus of these application steps is wrong. Applications like this lead to self-righteous box-checking.

Have I returned to God? Well, I go to church every week, so check!

Have I made every day count? Well, I serve and give and sacrifice like a good Christian should, so check!

Am I satisfied and glad? Well, I try not to complain, or when I do people should understand that I’m dealing with an evil world that is hard. So, I’m satisfied as long as people give me grace for being vocally dissatisfied with all the stuff I have to deal with. And gladness? Well, I make myself smile and laugh when I want to cry, so check and check!

And do I work meaningfully? Well, do you know how hard it is for a Christian in the world today? I mean, I have to have a job and not all of us can work in ministry, so I fill my free time with volunteering and church stuff, so check!

Then we look at people who do work in ministry through this outline and we expect perfection from them.

Has my ministry leader returned to God? Oh, man, she sinned right in front of me. I don’t even think she knows it was a sin. How evil! How wrong! That’s not how I would behave, and what’s her excuse? She doesn’t even have to deal with the world, she works for the church. If I had the blessing of working in ministry, I wouldn’t do that. So, nope! (Implied: I would better than her in ministry!)

Has my ministry leader made everyday count? Well, I mean, why do people in ministry need to take vacations? What are they running from? Is it godly to just go sit on a beach? Must be nice to have a cushy job serving God AND get to go on nice, luxury vacations! She must not know what she has, so nope! She doesn’t even know how to make her days count! (Implied: I would better than her in ministry!)

Is my ministry leader satisfied and glad? Have you seen her lately? She was crying the other day. She’s supposed to be pointing us to Jesus, and she still cries. If she thinks her life is so bad, then she should try living in the real world! There is no reason for her to cry or be sad. I guess she doesn’t know how to be satisfied and glad with God. So, nope! (Implied: I would better than her in ministry!)

Is my ministry leader working meaningfully? She better be. She’s the only one who can. The rest of us have to do our regular jobs and then find meaningful things to do in our free time. It must be nice to get paid to work for the church. Hey, why don’t church employees have to have real jobs? Isn’t that what Paul did? Shouldn’t they be “tent-makers”? What am I giving my money for? So that she can work for God while I struggle in the real world? (Implied: I would better than her in ministry!)

Now, these examples are extreme, but those sentiments are out there. As soon as applications are about all I should be doing, we become self-righteous and critical of others.

In this Psalm, Moses is leading us in prayer. When I look at this Psalm now, I see my need for humble prayer. My heart cries out to our Lord because I can’t do these things.

“Lord, I need you!”

“Lord, please come to me!”

“Give me your wisdom, Lord!”

“Oh, have pity on me. I don’t deserve You, but please come!”

“Help me to find satisfaction in Your love alone!”

“Help me to be glad and rejoice in You alone!”

“Oh, Lord, I don’t fully understand why You’ve allowed affliction and evil, but I need You to show me gladness in the midst of it.”

“Show me what You want me to do! Show me Your power to do things I can’t even imagine!”

“Oh, Lord, I need your favor. No one else’s favor has any power. Show me how to live for You alone!”

“Establish the work of my hands so I only do what You have for me. Protect me from my pride to do things that make me important. Shield me from the opinions of others when I don’t live up to their expectations. Oh, Lord, establish the work You have for me that overflows from a heart filled with You!”

That’s the application. Lord, God, I need you! Oh, help!

I can’t get that from anyone else. I need that time alone…with Jesus!

Have I sought His wisdom today? Please pray that I seek Him daily, and I commit to pray that for both of us!