Our fellowship as believers is not built on our performance, our track record, or any system of works. It stands on a single, unyielding foundation: our profession of faith in Jesus Christ. We recognize one another as sons of God because we hold to the same testimony—faith in Christ crucified and risen. This is not a secondary matter or a mere preference; it is the very ground of our unity and the only basis for true fellowship. Anything else is a counterfeit.
The True Basis for Standing in the Light
We do not approach God because we have made ourselves worthy or have finally managed to reform our behavior. We come because we believe. Faith alone qualifies us to stand in the light of God’s presence. The Lord Himself draws a sharp line between those who shrink back into darkness, fearing exposure, and those who step boldly into the light—not to parade their own merit, but to manifest that their deeds are wrought in God.
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
John 3:19-21
The one who “does the truth” is not the one who has achieved perfection, but the one who comes to the light by faith, so that it may be clear—God is the author of every good work in him. Our works do not purchase anything from God. They are simply the evidence, the signature, that we are already complete in Christ. They add nothing to our righteousness, nor do they qualify us for anything before God.
The Collapse of Works-Based Righteousness
The moment you attempt to stand before God on the basis of your own works, you forfeit grace and reduce the relationship to a transaction. Paul demolishes this thinking with Abraham as his example:
“For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his Faith is counted for righteousness."
Romans 4:2-5
If justification comes by works, then God owes you a wage. But God will not be your debtor. He justifies the ungodly by faith alone. This is not a negotiable point. To introduce works as a basis for righteousness is to undermine the gospel itself. You lose not only assurance, but the very possibility of sonship and inheritance. The reward is no longer of grace, and Christ is made of no effect to you.
The Blessedness of Imputed Righteousness
The gospel announces a blessedness that works can never secure: God imputes righteousness apart from works. This means forgiveness, covering, and the complete removal of sin’s record against you. David described this as the highest joy:
“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."
Romans 4:6-8
This is not a theoretical comfort. It is the only ground for peace with God. If you abandon this, you return to a system of debt, fear, and endless striving. You forfeit the rest, the assurance, and the fellowship that belong to the sons of God. You cannot have both—either your standing is secured by Christ’s righteousness imputed through faith, or you are left to your own devices, always falling short.
What Is at Stake
Let no one deceive you: to compromise here is to lose everything. If you accept the error that works contribute to your justification or standing before God, you sever yourself from the covenantal promise. You make Christ’s finished work insufficient, and you place yourself under a yoke that neither you nor anyone else can bear. The inheritance, the cleansing of conscience, the joy of sonship—all are lost if you trade faith for performance.
Rest in the Finished Work
Your profession is not a hollow statement. It is the declaration that Christ alone is your righteousness, your sanctification, and your reward. Because of this, you are free to walk in the light, to enjoy fellowship with the saints, and to rest in the knowledge that God Himself has qualified you. Faith alone is enough. Anything less is no gospel at all.
Read the book here → Christ As Righteousness Sanctification and Reward
