"A peculiar people, zealous of good works." "Good works"! Do good works have anything to do with the Christian salvation?

Are we saved to do good works? Does the New Testament teach this?

Yes it does, unless the Book of Ephesians has been removed from the Scriptures.

"Oh, Brother Thompson, even if I never do good works God loves me and has saved me by grace!"

I don't think the Bible agrees with you.

If we will look closely at Romans, Chapters Three through Five, we will see that Paul was not showing us a way to go to Heaven without trying to do good, as one contemporary "translation" has it, but was seeking to convince the Jews they could receive righteousness by putting their faith in Jesus Christ apart from observance of the Law of Moses.

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:21,22)

"The righteousness of God without the law," not the righteousness of God without righteous behavior!

The Jews, having been instructed in moral behavior from infancy, would understand that receiving Christ did not signify they no longer would have to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. This would be inconceivable to anyone who had any knowledge of the Lord.

The issue was circumcision, the feast days, and even the ten commandments provided it was understood the Ten Commandments would be obeyed to a far more comprehensive extent under the new covenant than was possible under the old.

We Gentiles, not approaching the new covenant from the Jewish perspective, have missed the point!

Releasing the Jew from the obligations of the Law of Moses is a far cry from the idea that once we accept Christ we no longer are required to live righteously. This would contradict much of what Paul wrote in the Epistles. Also it would defeat the purpose of God under the new covenant.

The reason God is so willing to receive us is that Christ Jesus, who kept the Law of Moses perfectly, died on our behalf, purchasing us with His own blood. The blood of God's Lamb has made an atonement for us. We have been accepted in the Beloved.

God's purpose in washing us in the blood of Christ and permitting us to enter the Holy of Holies in prayer is that we might now, having a heart and conscience free from all condemnation, receive the ability to live righteously. God has given us eternal life, the Holy Spirit, the body and blood of Jesus, perfect forgiveness, that we might learn to live righteously!

It appears we evangelicals have misunderstood God almost completely. We have postulated a dispensation of grace (an unscriptural and destructive concept and term) to mean God no longer demands righteous, holy, obedient behavior. We are accepted of God (we say) on the basis of an unconditional amnesty, a legal state unrelated to our behavior. When we sin God sees only the righteousness of Christ.

It appears it is not possible a more cunning device could have been invented by the enemy to destroy the purpose of God under the new covenant.

(To be continued.)