Faith & Works

[RedOctober]

Some of the similarities between the Molokan Religion vs. Helenistic/Protestant Christianity is the subject of Grace. Both believe that salvation is a gift that cannot be earned and that Christ has redeemed us from our sins. But that’s where the similarities end.
Helenistic/Protestant Christianity teaches that all you need is Grace alone, works are pretty much irrelevant or not required. This goes against scripture and is a corruption of the truth.

James 2

[14] What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?
[15] If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food,
[16] and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit?
[17] So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
[18] But some one will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
[19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe -- and shudder.
[20] Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren?
[21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar?
[22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works,
[23] and the scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness"; and he was called the friend of God.
[24] You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
[25] And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
[26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.

Verse 24 plainly states man is not justified by faith alone. But many Hellenistic play it down and state “Oh don’t worry about works, they will come with your faith”. Accept such a statement at your own peril. It’s fairly apparent from James that you can have faith without works, nor is this the only scripture on the matter. Christ inferred this in three different parables, as he knew that there would be a corruption of his teachings and sacrifice.

Matthew 25

[1] "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
[2] Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
[3] For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;
[4] but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
[5] As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
[6] But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'
[7] Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps.
[8] And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
[9] But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'
[10] And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.
[11] Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.'
[12] But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
[13] Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

First thing that must be stated, what makes up a kingdom? The people of course. The five foolish maidens were those who indeed thought they were going to the marriage feast, but they did not bring enough oil (faith only). Whereas the five that brought extra oil (faith and works) were admitted to the feast. Nor is this parable by itself, as a matter of fact, the very next one repeats the same theme.

[14] "For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property;
[15] to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
[16] He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more.
[17] So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.
[18] But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
[19] Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
[20] And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.'
[21] His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
[22] And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.'
[23] His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
[24] He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow;
[25] so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
[26] But his master answered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed?
[27] Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
[28] So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
[29] For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
[30] And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'

First thing of notice, one should be aware that not all servants received the same amount. So when someone says, “Oh were all the same and God has given us the same for each”, then they don’t really understand Christ’s Parables. But here again, it’s the same theme, the first two servants went out and worked to double what they were given. And the master states “they have been faithful over little”, once again implying that this is a faith and works parable. Take note, the last servant buried what they had, they received grace/faith and did nothing with it. Moving on, if you had any doubts this chapter had anything to do with faith and works, this should eliminate them.

[31] "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
[32] Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
[33] and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.
[34] Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
[35] for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
[36] I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
[37] Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?
[38] And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?
[39] And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?'
[40] And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'
[41] Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;
[42] for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
[43] I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'
[44] Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?'
[45] Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.'
[46] And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

These concludes the whole chapter, but let’s take note of a few things. Both sheep and goats are considered clean animals, sheep allow themselves to be guided by a Sheppard while goats tend to be a bit stubborn. Both are clean, meaning both have had their sins washed. The sheep are described in verses 34-40 and surprise, surprise, they did works. The goats are described in 41-46, thus and of course they had no works.

It’s pretty conclusive works are required with faith, Christ devoted three parables to this so dismissing it and continuing with grace only or preaching grace only will make you a goat.

Also, don’t assume Molokans do not help others, if it be one of their own or not. Most do, but do so in silence. Our culture and practices make it very taboo to brag about what you did good for the day, week, month or what have you. How do I know? A few have conferred with me how at times they were angry with themselves when someone needed help. They are not angry that they didn’t do anything, but actually angry they didn’t do better. For example, someone coming out of a store with a few groceries and they meet someone in the parking lot asking for food. So they give them their bag, the person thanks them and they leave. He goes back into the grocery store and thinks to himself “Now, why didn’t I just bring them into the store and buy a whole cart full for them?” Most Hellenistic would just give them a few bucks and move on…

[RedOctober]

Now some may bring up the part about the two thieves in Luke 23, where one asks Christ to remember him and Christ replies that he will be in paradise with him. How could he possibly have any works? You are correct, but...

Romans 9
[14]
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!
[15] For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
[16] So it depends not upon man's will or exertion, but upon God's mercy.

So, yes it is possible. But this in no reason to continue preaching faith only, just because you have faith doens't mean Christ will have mercy. As is stated in the parable in Matthew 25:23-35, the King showed mercy, thus you must also show mercy.