By James Maginnis
‘For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.’ Ephesians 2:8-9
If this is true (and it is), then surely self-control doesn’t actually matter? After all, the Gospel teaches us that we’ve been saved by grace through the work of Jesus Christ, and that (as these verses tell us) our works don’t contribute to that salvation. So, surely we can go on living however we please and leave the good works up to Jesus to do on our behalf? To use the words of Paul in Romans 6; ‘by no means!’
So how do we make sense of this? How can the things we do have no impact on our standing before God, yet somehow, they matter? The truth is, it’s not so much the works themselves that matter but rather, what they’re a symptom of, our heart. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that we will ‘recognise them by their fruits’. And it makes sense, after all, how do you tell an apple tree from an orange tree? The apples tend to be a giveaway. It’s the same with us, our actions don’t save us, but they are important, why? Because they are inextricably linked to who we are. So, if we are in Christ, then fruit (action) must follow, we must demonstrate self-control to do what is right, and neglect what is wrong.
Often this truth is followed by a call to action, to go and do, simply be self-controlled, do good, neglect bad. We could drop some practical tips on how to exercise your self-control and wish you the best but, that would be missing the point. After all, why does an apple tree bear apples? Because that’s what it is, an apple tree. It doesn’t try to grow apples, it just does. As long as it’s well rooted in good soil, well-watered, and well cared for, it will bear fruit in its time. It’s the same with us; if we’re in Christ we are His, we are inhabited by the Holy Spirit and, as long as we’re rooted in good soil, well watered, and well cared for, we will bear fruit. So rather than trying to effect change from the outside in; starting with our actions and hoping they change our heart, we need to realise it’s the Spirit that changes us from the inside out, starting with our heart and working its way out to our actions, our fruit.
But what if we aren’t self-controlled? What if we don’t see fruit? Does that mean we aren’t really saved? No. Please don’t misunderstand me, if we profess faith but never see any fruit, then there are serious questions we need to ask of our heart, but we must also realise that the work of the Spirit in our lives is a process, and not always a quick one. An apple tree usually doesn’t bear any fruit for the first two to three years after it’s been planted, it takes time to mature, but that doesn’t mean nothing is happening. After all we’re told in Philippians 1:6 that God is at work in us, and that He will complete His work. So take heart, focus on Him, and the rest will follow.
Passages for further study this week:
Monday: Proverbs 25:28
Tuesday: 2 Timothy 1:7
Wednesday: Psalm 1
Thursday: Titus 2:11-14
Friday: 2 Peter 1:5-7
