I recently read an article (see here) suggesting that there is no Biblical evidence of believers who go through life with zero good works. The author called them “fruitless believers” and discussed five examples that might be used to support the idea of fruitless believers.
I, too, do not believe that any believer dies with zero good works done during his time as a believer unless he believes in Christ immediately before dying.
Example 1: The Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14-30) and Minas (Luke 19:11-27). The author rightly points out that the third servant proves unfaithful. But that does not mean that he did no good works.
Example 2: The fruit and the vine (John 15:1-11). The author rightly points out that all the Lord is saying is that present fruitfulness requires present abiding in Christ. It says nothing about past or future fruitfulness.
Example 3: The thief on the cross (Luke 23:40-43). Many say that he did no good works from the time he came to faith in Christ until a few hours later when he died. But the author points out that he confessed Christ before the crowd: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” As he was dying, the thief confessed Christ.
Example 4: Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9-24). The author points out that we know nothing about what Simon did after this incident. He showed an interest in spiritual things, and he did show a repentant spirit.
Example 5: Building with wood, hay, and straw (1 Cor 3:8-15). The author points out that we do not know what percentage of a person’s work will be burned up and what will endure. Paul is not suggesting that anyone will have 100% of his work burned up.
It is possible for Free Grace people to be overzealous in the fact that we have been saved by grace through faith and apart from works (Eph 2:8-9). The fact that we are saved apart from work does not in any way suggest that some believers will have no good works from the time they come to faith until the time they die.
It is also true that our assurance of everlasting life is not at all based on our lifestyle. It is based on believing the testimony of God concerning His Son’s promise of everlasting life to the believer (1 John 5:9-13). But that, too, in no way suggests that any believer can go through life producing no good works.
Even unbelievers retain the image of God; hence, unbelievers can do good works. They cannot be saved by their good works. But they do good works, nonetheless.
Believers retain the image of God as well. Believers do good works. While our lives may not be the shining examples of good works that the Lord wants them to be, we do at least some good works.
May our lights so shine before men that they glorify God for the impact He has had on our lives.
Keep grace in focus and you’ll never forget that you’ve been saved by grace through faith and apart from work.
