Why Good Works Cannot Save You

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  00:10

Today we’re going to be looking at the topic, and it’s a very important one, why good works cannot save you. Why good works cannot save you. We are covering the theological argument of the ages. Today, it is the most controversial of all issues that there could ever be. And that is where we’re going with this today. It is the difference between true Christianity and religion. It never goes away. Okay. It’s always here, it’s always a hot topic, so to speak. It was the difference between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day. It is also the difference between heaven and hell. And so if there’s anything we could cover in any message in this church, this would be right up there at the very top.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  01:10

Now we’re going to give you six reasons today why good works cannot save you. There’s many more. I’m only limiting this because of time. That’s the only reason I’m limiting this. So let’s let’s look at this. Okay, while many today, and here’s what’s going on today, folks, and this idea of contemporary theology, what’s being talked about? And we’re gonna dive right into it in just a couple minutes here. While many people today will say that good works will not save you. They’ll say it. They still believe that man’s efforts do have a part in saving you. Now they don’t see it, they don’t see. Many people are blind to the fact that they’ll say, “oh no good works don’t save but you have to live a faithful life if you want to make it in the end”. Well, what is that? It’s saying the same thing, it’s just using different description to say the same thing.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  02:07

Many are confused, many are mixed up on this issue. And so what does the Bible say? Well, we’re going to cover six issues here or six points having to do with this. The first one is this, and honestly, folks, if we get this, it completely disarms arguments for works for salvation, if we just simply see this, and it is this, God requires sinless perfection to enter heaven. End of argument. You’re guilty. It’s over. Okay. This is what the Bible teaches Revelation 21:27. Yes, in a sense, it’s prophetic. Talking about what’s coming down the road, talking about the eternal state, how that is here in Revelation chapter 21:27. It says this, and there shall in no wise (in no way), enter into it (referring to heaven) anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie. Okay, abomination is sin. That’s what an abomination is. You might say, well, I thought there’s there’s just a few things that are abomination. No, you study, just do a word study on the word abomination in scripture. It’s sin. Okay, pride is an abomination. Gossip is abomination according to God.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza 03:39

No wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Now, look at the middle of that verse, it says, not even a lie, can make it to heaven. Every person in this room has told a lie at least one. Maybe, hopefully not. Maybe there’s a pathological liar in the crowd. That’s a person who lies so much they don’t even know they’re lying anymore. It’s so much a part of their fabric as a person, but regardless of that, everybody who’s here has told at least one lie. And probably many, over time. All right. You might say oh I’ve never told a lie. Have you ever tried to deceive somebody? Well yeah, well then you lied. That’s what a lie is deception. See, we don’t want to admit our sinfulness. And that is where the problem is. The pride of man is the roadblock to getting to heaven. Man’s pride is in the way. Man cannot accept the fact that he is guilty, he’s sinful, he is condemned before God as we are going to see. Have you ever told a lie? Yes you have. Have you ever sinned? Yes you have. You must be sinless to enter Heaven. Not even one lie, not even one sin can enter heaven. This disqualifies all of us, because none of us are sinless. Do you get it? That is true. That’s what the Bible says. And therefore, if you didn’t know anything else but that, we cannot enter Heaven. It’s closed to us at this point. We’ll talk about how you can get there in a few minutes. But this right there is a very very powerful truth. God requires sinless perfection to enter heaven. You’re not sinlessly perfect. I’m not sinlessly perfect, therefore we cannot go. If that was the end of the story, no one ever since Adam and Eve would make it to heaven. You might say, what about Jesus? Jesus is God, that’s different. He was sinless. He didn’t even have a sin nature. People say well, but he could have sinned if he wanted to, he just didn’t want to, right? No, no he could. No. God allowed him to experience the pressure of sin. He allowed him to experience what temptation was like. But friends, if Jesus could have sinned, he would have been less than God. If Jesus could have sinned, He would have had a sin nature, therefore less than God Himself. Jesus is perfect. Jesus was perfect. He is still perfect, obviously, because he’s the eternal Son of God, God Himself. He said, I and the Father are one, okay? If God is sinless, so is Jesus.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  06:38

And the Bible says, by the way, just a few scriptures are rattling in my brain right now, Titus says, God that cannot lie. Doesn’t say God who did not lie. It says, Titus 1:2, In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie. There’s a difference there. You might say, well that’s not a big difference. It’s a huge difference. Promise before the world began. So the Bible says, first God requires sinless perfection to enter heaven.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  07:12

But secondly, we are all sinners and therefore stand guilty and condemned before God. Boy, we don’t like to hear words like that. Okay, I’m here to tell you today, folks, we are guilty. We are condemned. Well, I’m not so bad. Yes, you are. Yes, I am. We are guilty. We are condemned before God. Look with me over to Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3. So if we didn’t go beyond number one, as I already mentioned, that’s enough. You have to be perfect to get to heaven. None of us are, therefore none of us are going. You see the futility in people who still think that what they do, how they live is going to merit them a place in heaven. It will not, as we will see very clearly here today. We are all sinners and therefore stand guilty and condemned before God, Romans 3:23, for all have sinned, all have sinned.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  08:23

The man who led me to Christ, he shared an experience once when he was teaching and he talked to some guy once and he said, “you know, the Bible says we’re all sinners”, and the guy says, “well, that depends on what you mean by sin.” And he said, “No, it really doesn’t, the Bible says we’ve all done it, therefore you’re guilty.” And that’s true. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and come short, come short of the glory of God. Look at chapter 5 of Romans, Romans chapter 5, in verse 12, it says, wherefore by one man sin entered into the world, that was Adam, and death by sin. So death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. We’re all sinners. You got to be perfect to get to heaven. None of us are. We’ve all sinned, therefore we stand guilty before God, we stand condemned. Let me show you another one here. Look with me over to James chapter 2. James chapter 2. I was raised Roman Catholic, many of you were raised Roman Catholic. And, of course, a big, big part of the agenda of the Roman Catholic church is if you want to go to heaven you have to keep the 10 commandments. Keep the 10 commandments do good. Okay, keep the commandments. There’s a problem. You can’t do that. What do you mean? I keep the commandments? No you don’t. No you don’t? Have you ever broken one? Well yeah, then you don’t keep them. Well, I do a pretty good job of it. Pretty good is not enough. You got to be perfect. Remember, you got to be perfect to enter heaven. We’re not we’re sinners, we come short of the glory of God. James 2 verse 10, it says, For whosoever shall keep the whole law. Now, listen, did you know that the Mosaic law is more than 10 commandments? Did you know that? There’s something like 613 of them? You don’t have a chance and neither do I. This is why you can’t work your way to heaven. Your good works are not going to get you there. Because you got to be perfect. You’re not perfect. And neither am I. Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. He’s guilty of all.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  08:46

Let’s say for an example, you’re you’re one of these adventurous, I don’t knowr reality show take a risk kind, it escapes me that kind of a programme. Oh, yeah, we are nuts. I think that’s the last one I saw. That’s a joke. I don’t watch him. But anyways, let’s say for an example, you and your buddy decide you’re going to go mountain climbing and you’re going to use a chain. Because you’re thinking well, chains are stronger than ropes. And so your chain happens to have 613 links in it. And so he gets to a point up on top of the mountain and he say “I got it. I’m secure. Is the chain secure? Yeah, toss it over.” He tosses it over and you’re down there and say, “Okay, I’m coming up. Okay. Good and firm, good and firm.” So you start. By the way, do any of you remember the old Batman series in the 60s when they went up, it was a corniest programme I’ve ever seen. Anyways, I wasn’t saved then. So up you go up you go up you go. Let me ask you something. How many links would have to break for you to fall to your death? One? Just one. Yeah, but the rest of the chain was good. Only one brings death. You break one commandment? It’s just like you broke em all. That’s what God says. That’s what God says. So if you lived your life, and you kept not even, let’s say God said, no, it’s only 10 commandments, and you lived your life and you kept nine of the commandments for your entire life (impossible, by the way), and you only broke one. God would say, You know what? It’s just like you broke em all. By the way, we’ve we’ve pretty much all broken them all, if you’re honest about it.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  13:17

Which leads us to our third point, the payment for sin is death. Not our good works. Now that’s a key. Most people don’t understand that. The payment for sin is death, not our good works. See, I run into all this all the time. People say oh no, we’re not saved by our good works, but you have to be sorry for your sin if you want to go to heaven. That’s not what the Bible says. God says there’s only one payment for sin, it’s death, death, which is separation from God. Nowhere does it say the wages of sin. now listen, nowhere does it say the wages of sin is being sorry for your sin. Now, I’m not saying it’s bad, that we feel bad about our sin. Okay. I’m just saying that’s not gonna get you to heaven, being sorry for your sin. Well you have to have penitence for your sin. Okay, kind of related term. By the way, the word that we have in our English Bibles, and a lot of your English Bibles have this repent. It is really poorly translated, because the word repent actually came from the concept of penitence, not the true definition of repentance, I’m talking about that word is related to the word penitance which really comes out of the Roman Catholic Church. It’s a works for salvation mindset. And so it gets translated over and people say, “oh, repent, that sounds a lot like penitence, that means I have to be sorry. That means I have to try to reform my life, I have to turn from my sin.” You have to turn from your sin to be saved. Friend, the Bible says the payment for sin is death, not turning from sin. You know, even baptists, you corner a baptists on this and they’ll say, well you don’t have to turn from all your sins, but you have to be willing to turn from your sin. I’m gonna get to this in just a couple minutes. But listen, getting ahead of myself a little bit. You are saying you have to make a mental commitment, pledge that you will turn from your sins as best you can, in order for God to save you. That’s what that’s saying, you have to be willing.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  15:57

Now again, listen, we as a church believe in good works, but not to get to heaven. We as a church, and I preach on it all the time, and some people even over the years have gotten uncomfortable with it. Well, I’m saved by grace, you know, and then you challenge them to live for Christ and live the life of good works that God has called them to live. And if they don’t want to do that, and they end up leaving the church. I told him the truth. Yes, good works have a place but not in getting you to heaven, not in keeping you going to heaven. We do it because we love the Lord. We want to serve him. He’s called us to serve him. But that is a matter of choice. Turn with me to Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. Now do you see the logic of it why good works cannot save you. God requires sinless perfection to enter Heaven. That throws your good works right out the window because you’re not sinlessly perfect. Therefore you’re disqualified. Not only that, we’re all sinners and therefore we stand guilty and condemned before God. We’re guilty of all James 2:10 tells us because we’ve broken God’s commandments. And number three, the payment for sin is death not our good works Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let me missread this for just a moment. God knows what I mean by me doing this I’m not trying to change scripture but highlight what it doesn’t say. Okay. For the wages of sin is going to church. Nope. For the wages of sin is being baptised. Nope. For the wages of sin is stopping your sinning? Nope. For the wages of sin is giving money? Nope. For the wages of sin is keeping the commandments. Nope. The wages of sin is death. That is what the Bible says. Good works are not the wages of sin. Now, let me say this, what is a wage? A wage is something you earn? Is that not true? It’s something you earn. It is a payment. We are under a death sentence. We have broken God’s laws and stand condemned before God. We have, listen, we have earned death. We’ve earned it. Why? Because we’ve sinned against God. And God condemned sin. God is a holy God. He condemned sin. He won’t let you into heaven with your sin. Not even one remember revelation 21:27. So you might as well quit trying to work your way to heaven, cos it’s not gonna happen.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  19:07

Which leads us to our fourth point. The Bible says clearly that good works have no part in saving us. Now I know all these things are very related, but they’re very related because they’re teaching the same truth. See, when you understand this you understand it. The Bible says clearly that good works have no part in saving us. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 2. And as we’re turning there, I so appreciate Dr. Yankee Arnold being here last week. What a blessing. I saw both the Sunday school I watched the Sunday school in a Sunday morning. What a great preacher he’s going on 80 years old. He’s an old man. Yankee. If you watch this, you’re an old man. But you know what I hope I’m as alive as you are going on 80 years old, if we’re still here. I hope not I don’t wanna be here at 80. I want to be in heaven. How about you? Ain’t that a better way to go, you know, you can only maintain your car for so long, you know. Anyway Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8, For by grace, it’s up here too, for by grace are ye saved? For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it’s faith in Christ and what he did for you on the cross. For by Grace are ye are saved through faith and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. Look at it not of works. What does that mean? It’s not of works. You can’t earn it, you can’t work for it, you can’t deserve it. You’re saved by grace. See, salvation is not a mixture of grace and works. This is huge folks get this. It’s not a mixture of grace and works. We are saved by grace. Grace is unmerited favour. It’s the unmerited favour of God, it is God reaching down and doing for us out of no other reason because he wants to do it. That’s grace. It’s unmerited. We don’t deserve it. We don’t do something that qualifies us. No, he and grace acts and he reaches down and he provides eternal life to anyone who has simply put their faith in Jesus Christ that he died on the cross and paid for their sins and rose from the grave. For by grace are ye saved through faith, faith in Christ and that not of yourselves, it’s not of yourselves, you can’t earn it, you can’t work your way to heaven. It is the gift of God, gifts are free. Not of works, lest any man should boast. See if you could merit salvation, it would be by the way you live. And that is not grace.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  22:17

If you could make it to heaven by the way you live, that’s contrary to grace because grace is something you don’t deserve. You don’t merit. It’s God doing it for you, even though you don’t deserve it. God doing it for me, even though I don’t deserve it. That’s grace. But if I could earn my way to heaven then I could deserve, “oh, I earned my way here, I deserve to be here” that’s contrary to grace and you’re only saved by grace. For by grace are ye saved. Do you see it? Any trying to mix grace and works is a false gospel and a false way of salvation that will not save. Let me tell you this, this may startle some of you. There are a lot of churches where people bring their Bibles to church, and the people are not saved yet. Cos they still think there’s a mixture. They still think their good works have a part in saving them. You’re not saved until you understand you’re helplessly lost and only Jesus can save you. That’s when you get saved. That’s why you’ll find churches and they’ll say “Well, you know what I thought I was saved when I was a kid, but I wasn’t, or I thought I was saved and there’s a bunch of times I thought I was saved and I went forward a bunch of times and all that, but I never really understood it, I never got it until at a certain point down the road.” You know why? Because you were getting mixed signals, that’s why. You are not getting it clearly. Salvation comes when you understand you can’t even lift your little finger to save yourself.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  24:12

When you try to mix grace and works, it is adding to and trying to supplement the payment Jesus made. Now understand this. When Jesus died on the cross and paid for sin, He said God Himself, “It is finished.” That means paid in full. When you say what Jesus did on the cross is not enough to get me into heaven, you are saying it was not paid in full I need to bring my supplement to add on to that, and now I can be saved. That is blasphemy against God Himself. He calls it an cursed message in Galatians 1. By the way, speaking of Galatians turn there with me if you’re in Ephesians, just a couple pages over to your left Galatians chapter 3.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  25:13

It says in verse 10. Now, before we read it, let’s say you’re here, you say “why I don’t care what he says, I still think I have to keep the 10 commandments to get to heaven. I think I have to keep the law.” Okay, all right, here’s what God says to you Galatians 3:10. For as many as are of the works of the law, that’s the commandments are under a curse. This is God speaking, not this preacher. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse for it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them. Sounds like James 2:10 doesn’t it? But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident for the just (those who are justified) for the just shall live by faith. It’s faith in Christ just like we’ve been seeing. And the law is not of faith but the man that doeth them shall live in them. Okay, if you’re gonna say I got to do em then you’re gonna have to live it out. Well, you can’t. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us. For it is written cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, that’s quoted from Deuteronomy? Okay, now listen, folks. This is so important to understand. works have no part in saving us. Okay.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  26:54

There are three flavours of the same poison being peddled today. You ever seen the old westerns and there’s the guy comes to town and he’s selling the, you know, the snake oil or whatever you want to call it – the tonic, the elixir, or whatever. And usually all it is is alcohol, you know, probably makes it himself, which is poison. Well, you know, there’s theological poison being sold today. But there’s three different flavours but it’s all the same poison. Ultimately, all three are saying the same thing. Now I want you to pay really close attention to this this morning. There’s there’s three of them. The first one we’re going to call legalism. Legalism, simply put, it is the person they believe you get to heaven by doing good works and nothing else. That is your ticket. good works. You know, Jesus died on the cross. You know, he did that. That’s fine. But the ticket to heaven in your mind is doing good works. Pure, plain and simple. That’s legalism, that you can get there by doing things. That’s legalism, but then it gets a little kind of like, shuffling the little trickery goes on. The deceivers the deceptive people come into play the preachers who do this.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  28:21

Then there’s arminianism. Okay. What is that? You go to heaven by believing in Jesus and doing good works. So it’s a combination of good works and Jesus. Okay. Church of Christ. Armenian okay. Methodist most Methodists Armenian. Wesleyians which are Methodist, Armenian. Okay. It’s Jesus and good works. Oh yes Jesus. You have to believe in Jesus, he’s so important, but you also have to do good works. And here’s what they say. This is armenian, if you don’t do good works, if you’ve believed and you were doing good works, but then you kind of slack off and you backslide, you lose your salvation. God takes it away. Eternal life is no longer eternal. Well, then it never was. That’s arminianism. If you stop living a faithful life, you lose your salvation. Okay, now things are gonna heat up a little better. You ready to get a little warmer today? I checked the thermostats before the service today.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  29:42

Then comes something called Calvinism. Now, the Calvinists blow a gasket when I say there’s really not any difference between arminianism and Calvinism really. Woah. Watch out. Okay. By the way, that’s why our pulpit is the size it is cos I can just kind of. What does Calvinism teach? Now there may be some of you in this room who kind of thought, well, I’m not an Armenian, I’m a Calvinist, I believe once saved, always saved. There’s a problem friends, have you actually examined Calvinism. By the way, come next week. That’s the first Trojan horse we’re going to be talking about. They say, you go to heaven by believing in Jesus, but if you don’t live a life of good works, you won’t go because it proves you never had it to begin with. Okay, that’s Calvinism. That part of Calvinism is called the perseverance of the saints. By the way, I wrote an entire book about this issue. We have it in our resource centre called Secure Forever I recommend you pick it up. That’s what they say you go to heaven by believing in Jesus Christ, but if you don’t live a life of good works, you won’t go because it proves you never really had it. So the Armenians say, “oh, it’s my faith in Jesus Christ, but you also have to do good works if you want to keep it.” The Calvinist say “it’s faith in Jesus Christ, but if you don’t do good works, it proves you never had it”. Both of them are bringing good works into the scenario. Do you see it? I hope you see it. It’s what they call the perseverance of the saints. Very similar, arminianism and Calvinism, very similar. Okay, they’re cousins. I don’t know if they kiss or not, but they are cousins.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  31:54

How about this, can I quote you some very famous Calvinists? Now when I glean this first one, this person was alive. I think this one I think he’s passed away, J I Packer, I think he passed away recently. Anyway, maybe not sorry J I Packer if you haven’t died. Here’s what he said. And by the way, very famous. For some books he’s written one of the most famous books he ever wrote was called Concise Theology. A lot of Bible colleges, it’s part of their curriculum. Okay. He says this, and I quote, now, I’m going to read this, if you’re a Calvinist, and you’re watching your Calvinist, don’t get mad at me. He said it I’m just quoting him. Okay, good, nothing personal here. He said this, and I quote, “The doctrine, talking about in the context of the book, perseverance of the saints, the doctrine of perseverance of the saints, declares that the regenerate, saved people, are saved through persevering in faith and Christian living to the end. And that it is God who keeps them persevering. See, this is how they get around it. Oh, no, it’s not by works. It’s God who gives us the grace to where we can persevere. But you have to persevere, which means you have to live faithfully. But don’t worry, you if you’re really saved, this is what they’re teaching. Completely contrary to Scripture. Let me say it again, the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints declares that the regenerate are saved through persevering in faith and Christian living to the end, and that it is God who keeps them persevering. Only those who show themselves to be regenerate by pursuing heart holiness and true neighbour love, as they pass through this world, are entitled to believe themselves secure in Christ, persevering in faith and penitance, not just Christian formalism, is the path of glory.” Did you catch that? Now, hopefully, none of you here said this, “well what’s wrong with that?” I’ll tell you what’s wrong. He added to what Jesus did on the cross and saying you have to persevere in the way you live your life, you have to live a faithful life, that is mixing the work of Christ with your works. That is a false gospel. That is a false gospel.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  34:38

Here’s another one very, very popular. He continues to be very popular. He’s growing in popularity all over the world today. And on some issues, he’s very good. But on this one, let me tell you this, John MacArthur would never be allowed in the pulpit of this church. He says this, and by the way I’ve got lots of quotes, I’m just giving you some. John MacArthur writes, and I quote, “a faith that is void of submission is merely intellectual faith and sometimes appropriately called easy believism. Easy believism is the view that those who adopt such a view must then scale back the definition of faith so that believing is something that even depraved sinners are capable of.” That’s what he said. Folks, this is false. If you have faith, now listen. no one has ever explained to me why I ought to use the term saving faith. Because the term saving faith smacks in the shadows, most people who use the term, not all but most people, use the term saving faith, somewhere in the shadows there it’s if you don’t live it, you really don’t have it. Okay. Nowhere in the Bible does it talk about well here’s faith, but then there’s this other faith, fake faith, real faith. Listen, faith is faith. What do I mean by that? Here’s what I mean by that. The idea of flipping on the light switch, okay, I did it today. Got up, went into the bathroom, flipped on a switch. Okay. You might say, well, we do that all the time. Yes, we do. But you know what that requires faith. Did you know that? Faith, I had faith that when I flipped the switch, the light would come out? If it didn’t come on, it would freak me out just momentarily, just like it does for you. By the way have you ever gotten up in the morning and there’s a power outage? And you go to turn on the light and there’s no lights? This doesn’t work. That doesn’t work. The coffeemaker doesn’t work? And why is all that because you exercised your faith. You have faith. Everybody has faith. I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where well, it’s you have faith, but you don’t have saving faith. Based on what? It’s always based on whether you’re performing, whether you’re doing good works, or not. How many do I have to do both of these guys, J I Packer “only those who show themselves to be regenerate by pursuing hard holiness and true neighbour love (whatever that is), as they pass through this world are entitled to believe themselves secure in Christ”. How much neighbour love do I have to have? What if I fail occasionally? What if I’m a shy person and I don’t usually show love to my neighbours? Not that I hate em, I just don’t manifest it to em. Should I question whether I’m saved or not? The Calvinist would say yes. If you do that on a regular basis, okay, how what is regular? Well, you’ll know. No, you won’t no you won’t.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  38:29

See what MacArthur says is false. If you have faith that when you flip a light switch on, the lights will turn on that is faith. It is, here’s the issue, folks, it is not the kind of faith but the object of your faith that is the issue of whether you get saved or not. The truth of it is this, anybody who has confidence in themselves has faith in themselves. Well, I’m going to perform I’m going to live a faithful life you have faith in yourself. Your faith is in the wrong place, it ought to be in Jesus Christ and what he did for you on the cross. Listen, now MacArthur and I continue quote, “any doctrine of eternal security that leaves out perseverance, which is faithful living, distorts the doctrine of salvation itself.” That’s a quote. Let me give you another one. “God’s own holiness thus requires perseverance. God’s grace ensures our persevering, but this does not make it any less our persevering.”

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  39:44

Let me give you a link just very quickly. This is no different than what the Catholic Church teaches. Except it’s a different flavour. It’s a different recipe. The Catholic Church teaches through the sacraments God gives you the grace to live a faithful life and make it to heaven by your works. That’s exactly what they teach. MacArthur’s teaching, you not only have to put your faith in Christ, you have to live a faithful life. Oh, but it’s not of works because God gives you the grace to live the faithful life. Folks, it smells bad. Okay. It’s a poison, it’s a poison. All three poisons are focused on man’s faithfulness and works and not on the finished work of Christ. All three are false accursed messages according to Scripture. Titus 3:5 says not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. It’s all the work of God. All we do is put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour, God does all the saving. God does all the keeping.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  41:11

Number five faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to receive God’s righteousness. Galatians 3:22 says but the scripture has concluded all understand sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. We’re all under sin. God provides the gift of eternal life. He promises it to all who will simply put their faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour. Turn with me to Romans chapter 4 very quickly. Romans chapter 4. I am well aware that pastors adopt lordship salvation, Calvinism. By the way, next week about Calvinism, lordship salvation, it’s all linked together,  so know that we’ll be talking about both. But here’s the point. I’m aware of some people some preachers believe that because they’re so sick of the sinful carnal living of people in their church, so they kind of like scare em a little bit. They kind of want to spook em into doing the right thing and living the right way. But carnal living is not cured by adding works to the gospel. Okay. It just makes the person self righteous. Self righteousness is what the Pharisees were and Jesus condemned them. The problem is having your faith in yourself instead of in Christ. Romans 4 verse 1, what shall we say then? Here’s Abraham as an example. What shall we say then that Abraham our father is pertaining to the flesh is found? For if Abraham were justified by works? He has where of the glory. Well what do you do with that pastor? Well read the next part, but not before God. Hmm. For what sayeth the Scripture, that’s a good place to start. Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is a reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt, if you’re going to work your way to heaven, you’re going to have to earn it by works and you have a huge debt to pay because you got to be perfect. Verse five, whoa, so important, but to him that worketh not, the person does not do works, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly, Jesus Christ, look at this, his faith is counted for righteousness. This is what God says.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  44:03

Wait, are you telling me if you didn’t do any good works, and you put your faith in Christ, are you telling me you go to heaven? Yes, that’s exactly what it says here. That’s exactly what it says. Well I don’t believe that. You don’t believe God. It’s not between you and me, friend, it’s between you and God. You need to quit having confidence in yourself and put it solely in the Lord Jesus Christ. Even as David also described the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputes righteousness without works, do you see it, saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, who sins are covered, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin, and he won’t impute sin to you if you trust in him that he paid for your sin. He gives you His righteousness. Jesus said in john 14:6, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. Do you see that?

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  45:16

We’ll close in John chapter 3 and verse 17. See, this is why it says what it does. Now I know it comes after 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Verse 17, for God’s sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Now look at the verse for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world. Why did God send His Son? That the world through him might be saved? It doesn’t say for God’s sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to help them in their commitment and faithfulness get to heaven. It’s not what it says. He came friends because he needed to. Roman says chapter 5 verse 6, for when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet per adventure for a good man some would even dare to die, but God commendeth His love towards us and that while we were yet sinners, he died for us. Much more then being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. If you could earn it, then Jesus died needlessly.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  46:59

That’s point six. If you can earn it, then Jesus died needlessly. Folks, salvation is not, now get this I heard this a few years ago, It’s not original with me, It is so good though. Salvation is not a bilateral contract. Okay. It is a gift. What do I mean by that? If you’re not familiar with a bilateral contract, a bilateral contract is a contract between two people in which both parties exchange promises to perform. A bilateral contract, and by the way, that is the false gospel is this, Jesus did his part. He did his work, I’ll do my work. He was faithful, I’ll be faithful. Where do I sign? God says, I don’t make bilateral contracts when it comes to going to heaven. You either accept it as a gift, or you don’t get it. Jesus did it all. That’s why it says in Galatians 2:21, I do not frustrate the grace of God. The word frustrate means to make null or void, to set aside. I do not frustrate the grace of God. For if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. If you could earn your way to heaven by keeping the commandments Jesus’ death was a wasted death. But we couldn’t that’s why he came. I hope you see it. The principle is clearly spelled out in Romans 11:6 and if by grace then is it no more of works, otherwise, grace is no more grace. But if it be by works, then is it no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. It’s one or the other. You don’t mix em it’s one or the other.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  49:03

Let me close with a question. If God so loves the world, why would he set an impossible standard for man to achieve –  to go to heaven and escape hell? If God so loved the world, why would he make it hard for man to escape hell if he loves us so much? Makes no sense whatsoever. I love you so and I want you to be with me in heaven. Here’s the standard. God that’s impossible. Well, I know but here’s the standard. No, Jesus came to do the work and he offers it to us as a gift.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  49:42

If you’ve never trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, would you do it today? Shall we bow in prayer please. With every head bowed and every eye closed this morning, please no one looking around. Friend if you’ve never trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour today is the day of salvation for you. God is offering you eternal life as a free gift. You can’t earn it, you can’t deserve it., you can’t work for it. Give up trying to earn your way to heaven. Give up. Give up trying to be good to get to heaven. You can’t do it. I can do it with God’s help. No, you can’t do it even with his help. You can’t do it. Jesus did it for you. And he’s offering you eternal life as a gift will you receive it? Will you put your faith, your trust in Him as your Saviour right now. Talk to the Lord, you can get it settled between you and God. Just put your faith your trust in Jesus Christ. He’ll give you eternal life. Is there anyone today I’d love to pray for you? You don’t have to do this, but if you finally understood this today and today you trusted Christ, heads bowed eyes close, and again you don’t have to raise your hand, but I’d like to pray for you. Is there anyone who would say yes, today I understood this. I finally get it. Today I trusted Jesus Christ to get me to heaven. Would you pray for me? Is there anyone just slip it up? Put it down? Is there any one pray for me today I trusted Christ is there any one?

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  51:15

Father, we thank you for your word. Thank you, Father, for the clarity of this. Oh how important this is, Lord, that we get this. Thank you, Father, that you made it so clear. Thank you, Father, that you only save by your grace not by our works not by our merit. But all by grace. Thank you for that. Please guide us Lord and and Yes, Lord, I know you want us to live godly lives, excuse me, as your children. You want us to please you and I pray that we want to please you. But Father, we also know that when we trust Christ, we become your eternal children. No matter what you’ll never lose us, you’ll never cast us out. Whether we live faithful lives or not, our security is in what Christ did not in what we do. Thank you for that. Bless each one we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Tom Cucuzza  52:10

Well, friends, that concludes this edition of voice of assurance. Thanks so much for listening and would you share this ministry with a friend? to contact us or learn more about our ministry please visit http://www.Northlandchurch.com. Your prayers and support for this ministry are greatly appreciated. Thank you so much and God bless you.