Certain questions tell a lot about the person asking them. Whenever the question of faith v/s works comes up someone always seems to end up asking a question having to do with how much obedience is actually required to be a Christian. As if maybe we could nail down a minimum percentage of obedience or something. I can’t help but analyze the motive behind such a question. It’s kind of like a child asking their parent, “So uh, how much crap can I get away with before you write me out of your will?”

I imagine the parent doing a double take with their head in shock and wondering who’s child this is. If asked legitimately, the very question itself reveals the heart of the child. Likewise, if you are putting all your stock in a claimed faith and don’t have the desire to obey ALL the commandments of Christ (not just the convenient ones) then you have good reason to wonder who’s child you are.

In the parable of the sower Christ describes a seed that sprouts up at first but then gets choked out by weeds and thorns — lost by chasing materialism and the values of the world system. He also describes a seed that grows and produces fruit as the true believer. Works are the fruit that is grown out of obedience. While they will never earn your salvation, they seem to be an integral part of it. In the book of James, works are described as completing our faith. Works are the physical manifestations of our faith— something that we and the unbelieving world can point to.

Back to the parent analogy, do you put a scale of obedience on your children? Is there a percentage quota that your children must meet? No, you know your children will disobey you and that they will screw up in life (sometimes REALLY screw up) but when there is a foundation of love in the relationship there is no measure to a parent’s forgiveness.