Straining Towards The Promise of Eternity
One of the most profound realities of the gospel is that it is by grace through faith that we are saved. Unlike many other religions, Christianity does not support the idea of a works-based salvation. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul says it plainly, “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.” Salvation is a gift not something we strain for.
There is a tension that exists within this reality. While it is clear biblically that salvation is by grace and grace alone, it is also painfully clear in scripture that faith without works is dead. James 2:17 states, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Similar ideas are communicated all throughout scripture. “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14.)” “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12.)” And another example, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2)”
How do these two realities work together? How is it both by grace alone and by faith with works?
Although these may seem contradictory, they are not. Something to keep in mind whenever you are reading the word of God is that scripture interprets scripture. We understand the meaning of the bible using the bible. In this case, I will be using Philippians 3 to hopefully bring more context to this dilemma.
In Philippians 3:7-8, Paul writes, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” This comes after Paul explains how he, more than anyone, has reason to have confidence in his flesh (vv. 4), that is, if anyone could earn righteousness by works, it would be him. Paul is explaining how he chose to give up any confidence he had in his flesh, so that he could know Christ, gaining Christ and his righteousness, “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith (vv. 9.)”
Here, Paul is arguing that salvation is not by our works–he (if anyone could) would be able to earn it by works–but that salvation and righteousness comes from faith in Christ. Typically this is the easier pill for us to swallow, salvation is by grace through faith. What's interesting is what comes next in the latter half of chapter 3.
In Philippians 3:12-13, Paul writes, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.”
Immediately after Paul writes in length about how he has suffered the loss of any confidence he had in his flesh, so that he may gain Christ and have righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, he writes how he presses on towards perfection and strains forward to what lies ahead. Pressing on and straining forward both allude to faith with works. Paul doesn’t seem to think pressing on, straining forward, faith with works contradict righteousness and salvation by grace through faith alone, in fact, he addresses both of them in the same chapter.
So, how do they work together?
Paul says that he presses on because Christ Jesus has made him his own and he says that he is straining forward to what lies ahead. In verse 16, he reminds the church to, “Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” The straining and the pressing are a response to what has already happened and to what is already ours in Christ.
We are saved by grace through faith, because of Jesus, we are promised eternal life, perfected resurrection bodies, and these promises are only ours because of Jesus. Through Jesus, these promises are secure, “for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3.)” Although these promises will be fulfilled in the future, they are secure now and they are secure because of grace and grace alone.
The promised future is also the reality now because it is secure. We are straining and working towards the resurrected, eternal life with Christ that is already ours because of grace through faith, not because of our own doing. In 2 Timothy 2:1, Paul writes to Timothy, “You then my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” It is not only the grace of God that makes the promises we are striving for secure, but it is the grace of God that strengthens us to strive, to press forward, and to work out our faith with fear and trembling.