Not of Works - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2025

It is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
Leviticus 17:11

Not of Works
This is a grand foundation-truth of Christianity, and must be constantly affirmed, and tenaciously held. There is immense moral power in it. If it be true that all the life-labors of the Son of God, His tears, His prayers, His groans, His sighs, if all these things put together could not cancel one single speck of guilt then, indeed, may we not lawfully inquire what possible value can there be in our works, our tears, our prayers, our religious services, our ordinances, sacraments and ceremonies, the whole range of religious activity and moral reform? Can such things avail to cancel our sins and give us a righteousness before God? The thought is perfectly monstrous. If any or all of these things could avail, then why the sacrificial, atoning death of Christ? Why that ineffable and inestimable sacrifice, if aught else would have done?

But, it will perhaps be said that, although none of these things could avail without the death of Christ, yet they must be added to it. For what? To make that peerless death, that precious blood, that priceless sacrifice of full avail? Is that it? Shall the rubbish of human doings, human righteousness, be flung into the scale to make the sacrifice of Christ of full avail in the judgment of God? The bare thought is positive and absolute blasphemy.

But are there not to be good works? Yes, verily; but what are they? Are they the pious doings, the religious efforts, the moral activities of unregenerate, unconverted, unbelieving nature? Nay. What then? What are the Christian’s good works? They are life works, not dead works. They are the precious fruits of life possessed, the life of Christ in the true believer. There is nothing beneath the canopy of heaven which God can accept as a good work save the fruit of the grace of Christ in the believer.

C. H. Mackintosh