Therefore, we do not say that good works are useless. However, we do say that good works are useless as far as salvation is concerned. Man cannot be saved by his good works. Neither can he be prevented from salvation by his evil works. Good works are applicable to the matter of the reward, the matter of the crown, the matter of the glory, and the matter of the throne. Good works are useless regarding the matter of salvation. God cannot allow man to be saved by his work; neither will He allow man to be rewarded by his faith. God cannot allow man to perish because of his evil works. God can determine only man's salvation or perdition by whether or not he believes in His Son. Similarly, God cannot determine a man's receiving of His glory by whether or not one believes in His Son. Whether or not you have His Son in you determines the matter of eternal life or perdition. Whether or not you have good works before God determines the matter of receiving the reward and the glory. In other words, God will never save a person because he has merits, and He will never reward one who has no merit. If someone has merits, God will not therefore save such a one. On the other hand, God will never reward anyone who has no merit. Man has to come before God totally helpless and meritless in order for God to save him. But after salvation, we have to be faithful, and we have to endeavor to produce good works through His Son Jesus Christ in order to obtain the reward.

Please do not think that good works are useless. We are saying that good works are useless towards salvation. Good works have nothing to do with salvation at all. Salvation depends on whether or not you would repent of your former position. It depends on whether you would have regret over your past to believe in His work on the cross and in His resurrection as the proof of your justification. This is the crux of all problems. The matter of work is related to reward. Work is useful, but only in the matter of reward.

Today's problem is that people will not differentiate between salvation and the kingdom. In the Bible, there is a clear distinction between salvation and the kingdom and between the gift and the reward. Because people would not differentiate these matters, the question of salvation is mishandled, and the question of reward is also mishandled. God has never placed the matter of reward before the unsaved ones. God only wants the unsaved ones to obtain salvation. However, after salvation, God places the reward before them so that they will endeavor, pursue, and run after the reward. Salvation is not the last step of the Christian experience. Rather, salvation is its first step. After we have been saved, we have to run and pursue after the reward before us. The problem is that we think that our salvation is our reward. The sinners think that to be saved is to obtain the reward, and therefore they rely on their works. The Christians think that the glory is simply grace, and therefore they become foolish in their living. Please apply work only to reward and grace to salvation.

Through salvation God separates the saved ones from the unsaved ones; He separates the ones having eternal life from those being condemned. Similarly, God also separates His children into two groups by His reward. Just as salvation separates the worldly people, in the same way, reward also separates God's children. God separates His children into the obedient and disobedient ones. With the worldly people, it is a matter of having faith and not having faith. With the Christians, it is a matter of being faithful or not being faithful. With the worldly people, it is a question of being saved or not being saved. With the Christians, it is a matter of having or not having the reward. Today's problem with God's children is that they magnify salvation too much; all that they see is simply salvation. They think that only when their work is taken care of can they be saved. As a result, they have no more time to pursue after the reward. If one has not passed through the first gate, he cannot pass through the second. May God be merciful to us that we would realize that the matter of salvation is solved already. It cannot be shaken, for it has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus already. It is fully done. Today what we have to strive for is the reward before us. There will be a big differentiation in the kingdom. Some will have glory, and some will not have glory.