Dr. Couch, I heard a pastor on the radio say: "You cannot get saved and
not have your life changed. You cannot get saved and not do good works." The point he seemed to be making was not, that one must do good works to
be saved, but that without a doubt, it is for certain that one will
absolutely do good works as a proof of one’s salvation. How does this
line up with 2 Corinthians 13:5? What do you think?
ANSWER: Fruit will be produced by the believer in Christ. Good works will follow
salvation, but the apostle Paul also warns of deep carnality that can
and will come forth from the child of God. Maturity is a process and
does not happen all at once. Everyone matures and changes at a different
pace, and in regard to individual sins in the life that need to be
purged. one cannot make a blanket statement as to the issue of good
works.
2 Corinthians 13:5 reads: "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the
faith; prove your own selves." Paul is not saying that they should
examine themselves as to their salvation as proven by their works. No
one is saved by works. The context goes back to verse 3 that says:
"Since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me …" Paul’s point in
verse 5 is that they have to believe Paul because Christ is speaking
through him. Do they, or do they not believe the gospel the apostle is
teaching? There is little doubt that Paul accepted the fact that there
were unsaved people in the Corinthian congregation. He is not asking for
them to "examine themselves" as to good works that supposedly would
automatically come forth with their faith; he is asking whether they
have trusted the gospel at all, because he, Paul, is speaking "for
Christ" the truth about salvation.
If the pastor you mentioned is saying that good works are automatic, and
will always and instantly come forth as an absolute proof of salvation,
then he is dead wrong, and he has not read the rest of the New
Testament about carnality!
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
