Do Jesus' Works Save Us?

Better lives through relationship building

In the Land of Peace - Durdy Bayramov, 1980

I saw a meme online this week that made me cringe so hard I put my back out. (Okay, doubtful but…!)

Of course like so much of what I see while scrolling through Substack I don’t think to stop and save anything until far too much later to ever find it again.¹

The meme featured a pastor preaching, saying “You are saved by works…” a beat passes, in order for your head to explode before he says, “…Jesus’ works!” This is supposed to be the soothing punchline to the joke — all is good, Jesus did the work.

I really dislike cliché pat phrases about our faith and religious experience. I especially am bothered by this meme, not just because it’s bait-ey, but also because it’s simplistic and tragically flawed. In the many conversations I have about faith and Christianity, one of the things I hear over and over is, “I didn’t ask Jesus to die for me, how does that fix any of my issues and problems anyway?”

I think our pat answers and clichéd phrases have done the Church a massive disservice — they’ve failed to educate and train future generations so that after just a few cycles, nobody really knew why they were going to church, much less what any of it meant for their day to day lives or how it matters.

In order for me to explain properly why this meme bothered me so much, let’s back out and look at the big picture — one of my favorite places.

We are introduced to the story of the Bible to two characters, Adam and Eve. They are created by God, in a World where things are good. God tells them they always have the choice to stay or go, and when they go things will be very bad — death bad. They are lured into the bad way, because on the surface it just sounds so appealing. “I can be my own boss? My own rule maker? I will know everything? Nothing will be hidden from me?” they seem to say. “SIGN ME UP!”

And God let’s them go. It’s a lot like having your own business, “Oh, you want to choose your own hours? Good! You’ll get to work ALL of them!” In much the same way, “Oh, you want to know the difference between good and evil? You betcha!” and within just a few short years, their sons are murdering each other. Sound super great, doesn’t it?

Things devolve from there, we’re still struggling, falling into pits of wickedness and reaping the results of dire separation from God and His ways.

The Bible continues as God keeps trying to find anyone, someone who will trust Him and with whom He can partner in the work of making the World whole and good again. Sadly, human beings seem to die off just about the time they kind of begin to have the fog lift.

Somehow, despite Abraham and Isaac and Jacob’s dimness, something stuck - just a teensy tiny thread. We can’t fault them, when we look at the thread that connects us to God through each generation, I think we’ll find it’s all resting on a knife edge, in my life, my family, in your family, in the Church — how are we even here!?²

So finally, finally God has a group of people that in some higgedly-piggedly fashion follow Him out of Egypt, barely grasping who He is or what He most wants.

Even in the best of times (whenever those were, the Bible seems like one tragedy of distrust after another), they kept falling into the same trap we still fall into: “If I do the right rain dance, then God will be pleased and send rain.” This scenario is still played out in a million different ways in our own lives. Deep down (or not so deep down) we believe that if we’re just “good” people, “good” things will come. While being good is vital to our life experience, it’s NOT what God is really wanting. I think this is why the other most common thing I hear is, “I don’t need to go to church because I’m good.” Implied is, “I can do the rain dance at home by myself, thanks.”

Over and over God tells us that behavior is not really what He most wants. He doesn’t care if we get the rain dance right, and He’s going to send rain whether or not we dance “correctly.” Sorry to say, bad things will happen to us even when we’ve done everything “right.” Good and bad outcomes just don’t work as cleanly and neatly as we’d prefer. What God’s really wanting is partners with whom to continue building trusting relationships, so that we might begin living in His Kingdom right now and right here, showing what God’s really like reflected in His images as we are made whole by being near to Him.

But relationship business is messy. Have you ever had a family member slander you? Have you had someone bully you? Have you had a friend stab you in the back? Have you been involved in a divorce? Have you been abandoned by the death of someone you desperately loved? It’s all very awful. And I myself have done my fair share of betraying and minimizing those I most love. Gross!! Our temptation is to crawl back in bed, pull the covers up and say, “I’m never going out again. I’m never trying to open myself up to people — it’s too hard to be hurt, to be rejected. Relationships are the WORST!”

Even when we know this isn’t really a solution, it’s so tempting. How can we go on? And all these attitudes and behaviors carry over to our dealings with God. “GOD, it’d just be so much easier if I can just get a list of things you want me to do, and I’ll go ahead and do them. Don’t talk to me, don’t come stand over my desk please, I just can’t today. I’ll dutifully do whatever you need or want, but I can’t engage with you.”

The problem is, our issues weren’t because we were bad or doing bad things — eating from forbidden fruit. The problem was way before that, when Adam and Eve listened to the lies and distrusted God in their heart. Action just shows what’s already festering inside. Somewhere in their mind was a darkness they never discussed. That gave a foothold to evil — it allowed them to accept this false promise of autonomy and agency. Our problem isn’t bad actions, it’s our hearts. Our hearts that aren’t healed by knowing who God is.

And if our problem isn’t our actions — but our actions just show what’s in our hearts then the solution can’t be action based either. Good works are good, but they don’t necessarily bring about a fixed relationship. I can do nice things for you, while rolling my eyes behind your back and moaning and groaning about how put upon I am. Is that really the way to better friendship?

If more “rain dancing” won’t bring “rain,” then more good works won’t get God’s attention and love. It doesn’t matter if those good works are ours, or His own.

When the Kid is acting out, I don’t slap him around because he’s whining and fussing and being weird (this week we had a few meltdowns). Spanking him might show him who’s boss, but the real problem is something deeper. He’s upset about change, having a growth spurt, or tired, or hungry, or just plain overwhelmed by life. What does he most need? Not a smack, but more relationship — more trust. He needs some time to try and express his feelings, his fears, and to know that he is loved.

God doesn’t sit in Heaven going, “They are such wicked wicked children of mine! I need to slap them around and show them who’s boss!” But then somehow His own Son (a gross heresy of the Trinity) shows up and the Father says, “He’ll do -”
THWACK!

Better behavior from my kid is okay — and even helpful since life will go better without whining and tantrums and arguments — but if it’s just because he’s afraid of me, then it’s only covering up his fear, frustration and wounds because he’s terrified of being “punished.” Do you think this kind of parenting will help us grow into more and more trust? Will it help us move into a deeper and deeper relationship where we can share our fears and concerns as two adults? I doubt it.

Jesus comes to show us the very heart of the Father — since they are one and the same — always working towards the same goal and purpose. God comes to be near us, to show us His heart, to remind us that His goal is not mostly about good behavior but about deep and trusting relationship, and no amount of doing the good things on the list will make a relationship better, if our heart is not in the right place.

Do you see how we get caught in thinking that good works = good rewards? Did I make a clear case about why I don’t think even God’s “work” will fix this situation we’re in? If not (and there’s a strong case I haven’t) I’d like to know. Let’s keep this conversation going. These conversation starters help us unpack our understanding of the faith — and they prepare us to share what we hold most dear with a confused and wondering world. Many people you know right now are wondering why Christianity is so great? They are asking why should anybody listen? Are we prepared to share why it matters to us? Let’s practice grappling now in the lab, in order to wrestle with later in real life!

with love,

sierra

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Bits & Bobs

This week was full of sadness. I pray for the Kirk family, losing a husband and father is never easy, but this I just can’t fathom. May we also remember his assassin, that whoever and wherever he is, that he will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and come back to God.

On a personal note my good friend and mentor, Evelyn, died this week of stage 4 colon cancer. It was very sudden and I was shocked to hear she is at rest. She was a great witness to me about God’s light and love and the challenges that came with ministry. I’m so glad I got to know her! This is a post inspired by one of our many conversations:

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Last year I wrote about Sabbath:

Two years ago I wrote (also references Evelyn!):

Three years ago I wrote - a great post to return to with seasonal reflection prompts:

1. If you’ve also seen this meme feel free to send it along or put it in the comments. I feel like it might have been one of the “great” preachers of the 20th century who has recently died… but I could be wrong.

2. How are you reading this email? How am I writing it? It’s about as scary as thinking about how your dad’s one sperm had to meet with your mom’s one egg in order to create you. It all feels just so impossibly miraculous! But how!!