When we tell people today that righteous behavior is an essential aspect of the Christian redemption, that apart from good works there is no salvation, we are accused of preaching "works."

Obviously, something is amiss in Christian thinking; for it is clear that the emphasis of the New Testament writings is on the practice of righteous behavior. In fact, the purpose of our redemption is that we might perform good works.

"Created in Christ unto good works."

God has created us in Christ in order that we may behave righteously. The goal of both the Law of Moses and the grace of Christ is people who behave in a righteous, holy, and obedient manner, a manner preordained by the Lord.

What is wrong with our thinking and preaching? The churches of today are not beacon lights of godly behavior! One would think from what is being taught that while godly behavior is desirable, no one expects it of the believers. What has happened to the salvation preached by the Lord Jesus and the Apostles of the Lamb?

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

Because the good works often are missing from the Christian churches the world is not glorifying God. The good works are missing from the Christian churches because many influential theologians understand the Apostle Paul to mean Divine grace is an alternative to godly behavior, that we no longer please God by godly behavior.

We should have understood that Paul was not contrasting Divine grace and righteous behavior. Paul proclaimed many times that the believer who behaves unrighteously shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, that he shall die spiritually.

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:21)

For if ye live in the appetites of the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)

Paul's attitude toward the practice of incest in Corinth should have alerted us that he was not presenting Divine grace as an alternative to godly behavior.

To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (I Corinthians 5:5)

Justification by belief. Paul based his argument against the Orthodox Jews on the fact that God justified Abraham by his faith in the promise of God.

And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

This, however, was not the end of God's dealings with Abraham. God required a perfect moral life of the patriarch.

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (Genesis 17:1)

Neither was this the end of God's dealings with Abraham. God demanded total obedience from the father of all who believe.

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. (Genesis 22:2)

To be continued.