Back-loading Works into the Gospel:

Back-loading Works into the Gospel:


Front-Loading works into the Gospel would like something this:

“For you to be saved you have to be willing to give up your life first”

“You need to stop sinning and live holy, or else you cannot be saved”

“In order for you to be saved, you need to be baptized in water, keep the sacraments, do penance, and join our church to be saved.”

The first two statements are made by a lot of preachers in Christendom, where as the last one is an actual requirement of Roman Catholicism. And obviously Roman Catholicism is not Christianity. Roman Catholicism is a false religion. But works based plans of salvation are not just presented in the cults and false religions out there, but are also preached within different sects and denominations within Christendom and what can be referred to as mainline Protestantism.

And usually this happens when Salvation and Discipleship are Combined together. For example, When a preacher says to a sinner:

“Before you can be saved, you have to be willing to follow Christ Jesus for the rest of your life.”

What that preacher just did is combine Salvation with Discipleship. And the two are different. Salvation is not discipleship. And Discipleship is not Salvation. Salvation is a one time event, where as Discipleship is a life long process.

Another example of combining Salvation and Discipleship together would be a preacher saying something like this:

“If you want to be saved, you have to be willing to forsake all, give up your life, even hate your own life and be willing to deny yourself and follow Christ. In order for you to be truly saved, you must do these things.”


This again is a prime example of mixing Salvation with Discipleship. Hence, what you have here is works based salvation. Where one is Front-Loading works into the Gospel. But Salvation is not of works, but it is only by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the Gift of God. Not of Works, Lest any man should Boast. (Eph. 2:8-9).

Now those examples I just gave you deal with someone who, once again, is front-loading works into the Gospel. But what does it look like when someone is back-loading works into the Gospel?

Front-loading works into the Gospel is actually rather obvious. Since they are actually telling you up front that you must do those works in order to be saved. But when someone is back-loading works into the Gospel, it isn’t that clear, since it is more subtil. But here are a few examples of back-loading works into the Gospel:

“Well, while we are saved by grace through Faith without works. Still though, true saving faith Will produce good works.”

“We are saved by grace through faith in Christ, BUT true saving grace will change you, and you will bring forth fruit and good works, if you have been truly saved.”

“We are not preaching works based salvation, BUT we are preaching Salvation-Works.”

“We are saved by grace through faith that Works.”

“We are not saved by works, BUT true salvation and true faith will have works.”

“We are saved by grace through Faith, BUT true saving faith will have the good works. Good works will accompany saving faith.”

Now those are some examples of a person who is back-loading works into the Gospel.

Telling a sinner when they get saved, that they Will do good works. And that those good works are proof that they have been truly saved.
Well, again, all Christians should do good works and continue in good works. But our works do not prove we are saved. For there are a lot of religious people out there who do good works, and yet they are lost. Catholics out there do good works (A lot of them stand up for the unborn outside of abortion mills), yet they are still lost. Mormons do good works, and a lot of them may live moral lives, yet they are still lost. False Jehovah’s witnesses, a lot of them do good works, and their women even dress very modestly, Yet though they are also Lost and unconverted. For they are not trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation, but our trusting in their works to save them. And the Mormons and False Jehovah’s witnesses both reject the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How a Christian can know they are saved is by the Holy Spirit within him bearing witness with his spirit that he is a child of God (Rom. 8:16), and also by simply believing the testimony and written record of the Holy Scripture (1 John 5:10-13).
We are not saved by our works, nor are we kept by our works. We are saved by Grace through Faith and that’s it. We are Saved by Grace through Faith alone in Christ Alone. Period.

No “Buts” and No “Ifs”

Salvation is entirely by grace through Faith. Plus Nothing and Minus Nothing.
Once again, every born again child of God Should do good works, and should bear fruit and we all should live a changed life. We all should get sin out of our lives, and walk in obedience unto God. And yet though, all these good things and good works which every child of God should be doing, is not what saves us, nor does it keep us saved. We ought to do good works and bring forth fruit unto God because we love God and because we are thankful and appreciate the great salvation which He hath given unto us.

Furthermore, if a man or woman repents toward God and places their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone to save them, then they are saved.
Whether that saved person does good works or not, whether that saved person serves God or not, whether that saved person grows in their faith or not, that person will be in Heaven when they die. Since their salvation is not based upon their service, performance, or their good works. But rather, their salvation is based solely upon Christ Jesus and Him alone. Jesus Christ did all the necessary work for our salvation to be complete. Jesus Christ’s blood atonement and finished work at Calvary is the only thing that can save us and get us to heaven.

The good works which we do, loving one another, serving in a local church, preaching the Gospel and doing evangelism, our separation from the world, the Holy Living and walk of obedience that we do will earn us rewards, crowns, millennial inheritance and the privilege to rule and reign with Christ during His earthly Reign in His Messianic Kingdom.

When a person gets saved, even though they should grow in grace, and although they should do good works and should live holy and soberly. However though, there is no guarantee that that saved person will live holy, since Christian growth is not automatic. That saved person may not do any good works, and he may not grow at all. That person may just remain carnal and a spiritual babe, sadly.

For Christian service, growing in grace, living holy, bearing good fruit, all these things deal with sanctification and the Christian life and walk, and all these good things are volitional. They are not automatic. Whether a Christian does these good works and lives holy, is up to him. He has to make that choice.

Therefore to conclude, We should serve God and live for Him with the right motive. In other words, we should serve our Lord Jesus Christ because we love Him, and want to glorify Him and His holy word. Hence, we should do all these good works for the very reason I just mentioned.

Nevertheless though, we are not saved by good works, Christian service, discipleship, denying ourselves, or any other good work. We are saved only by God’s grace. And it is God’s grace which saved us, and it is also God’s grace that keeps us saved.