Studying Paul’s Epistle to the Romans over the last few weeks and spending the holidays posting insights from the book on this website, I’ve become extra aware of the Scripture’s teachings on salvation-by-grace-through-faith and not of works. Today, I saw a great picture of what a “works salvation” would look like.

On this Friday prior to the Monday night, January 7, BCS championship game at the Superdome between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the LSU Tigers, our Times-Picayune ran a front page article to feature the two marching bands. LSU’s elite group is called “The Golden Band from Tigerland,” while Ohio State’s is called “The Best Damn Band in the Land.” (Excuse me, mom.) They’re said to be the two best marching bands in the country.

The LSU band will be 325 players strong, if you can believe it. Ohio State has 224 who will be suited up and strutting Monday night. Those numbers are a little inflated for the championship game, but still, those are huge musical groups.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. During the football season, the LSU band practices 90 minutes each afternoon Tuesday through Friday. On Saturday nights prior to home games, they practice for up to 2 hours during a dress rehearsal open to the public.

The Ohio State band members practice from 4 to 6 pm each weekday, one hour inside and one hour outside, regardless of the weather.

With both bands, there are no “returning starters” among the musicians. That is, each band member must earn his own spot anew each fall and maintain it through weekly competitions.

More than 450 people tried out for the 192 regular spots on the Ohio State squad, and–get this–anyone can challenge a band member each Monday. If one is challenged for his position, the two musicians have a “play off” and the winner is chosen by band squad leaders and directors.

All music is played from memory, and musicians must pass a test each Friday. Those who fail 3 times during the year will be cut permanently.

Ohio State director Jon Woods said, “It’s possible a veteran may not make the band. It happens several times a year.”

One of the traditions the Ohio State band treasures is the “dotting of the ‘i'” in ‘Ohio’. The band has a signature maneuver called “Script Ohio” and a leading band member, chosen I believe by the members themselves, walks out and stands alone atop the ‘i’. Jon Woods recalled how a sousaphone player from the 1994 band directed his whole college career toward being chosen to ‘dot the i’ during the Notre Dame game in 1995. However, Woods said he slacked off during the summer and was cut from the band before his senior year.

Now, think of that. Daily practice, weekly tests, weekly challenges, annual auditions in which you have to win your chair all over again. Each week someone may try to bump you and take your slot.

Think of the insecurity of the band members, always anxious lest someone better than he shows up, always putting in long hours but living in the fear that it’s never enough.

This is the identical fear many religious people live with, particularly those who believe their salvation is based on good works. They’re always wondering how good they’re doing, always fearful that what they are doing is never enough, ever worrying that a failure here or a sin there may undo all the good they’ve done. Wondering, fearing, doubting.

It’s a miserable existence. Furthermore, please notice, it’s a life totally preoccupied with self.

There is no place in the life of a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ for such misery and fear, let alone the self-centeredness. “Christ has not given us the spirit of fear,” Paul said in II Timothy 1:7, “but of power and love and a sound mind.”

One of the many reasons for which the Epistle of Romans–as well as Ephesians and Titus, to name two more–was written was to settle this matter of salvation of works-or-faith once and for all.

“The wages of sin is death, but the (free) gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Is that clear enough? You would think so.

Or this: “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:3, quoting Genesis 15:6) And this: “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17, quoting Habakkuk 2:4)

More? “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” and “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:1 and 37)

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

“If (salvation) is by grace, then is it no more of works, otherwise grace is not grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace.” (Romans 11:6)

Of course, the two greatest killer verses that knock this question out of the park are these: “For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves; not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy hath he saved us.” (Titus 3:5)

So, where do works come in? Doesn’t the Bible say we shall be judged by our works? It does indeed. Our understanding is that at the end of this worldly life, there are two separate judgments, one for believers called “the judgement seat of Christ” and one for unbelievers known as “the great white throne judgement.” The question of one’s eternal salvation will have already been settled, so the remaining issue is to determine the degree of reward or punishment in Heaven or hell. That’s a subject for another time, but Scripture is fairly clear on this subject.

Back to the Ephesians 2:8-9 passage. After shooting down works as a means of salvation, Paul turns right around and restores works to its proper place in the believers’ lives: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus that we should bring forth good works.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Got that? Our works are the result of our salvation, not the means to it.

I have nothing but admiration for the members of the two marching bands who will be entertaining the crowd and strutting their stuff next Monday night.

But that’s no way to live your entire life, always in fear that God may reject you because you did not work hard enough, pray enough, contribute enough, and go to church enough. All those things are fine, but they should be the effect of our salvation.

A full millennium before Jesus came to earth, David put it like this in one of his songs and it has never been improved on:

“I waited patiently on the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry.

“He brought me up out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.

“And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God….”

Later in that 40th Psalm, David says, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire. Burnt offering and sin offering has thou not required.”

Are you saved? Good. Then quit worrying about whether you are saved and whether the Lord loves you, and start believing His word and His integrity. Give thanks for your salvation and pick up your tools and get into the field. The harvest is waiting for you.

Quit worrying and go to working, not to earn anything with God, but to please Him.

My friend Barbara is lying near death in a hospital in the next parish. Earlier this week, the doctors announced that she was not able to complete the dialysis, and the family made the decision to stop any further treatments. The doctors have given her only days to live.

Two days ago when we visited, Barbara handed me a piece of notepaper on which she had written the hymns to be played or sung at her services. “In the Garden.” “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” “The Love of God.” “Because He Lives.”

As we chatted, I recalled that Barbara used to struggle with doubts about her salvation. To my knowledge, she never arrived at a point of having full assurance, yet she always gave ample testimony to having repented and surrendered her life to Christ.

Before leaving her bedside, I said, “I have a scripture for you. Jesus said, ‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, “The Lord is my Helper and I will not be afraid.”‘”

I said, “Barbara, that’s Hebrews 13:5-6 and it’s a wonderful promise straight from our Lord. Furthermore, it has nothing to do with how you feel at any given moment. We stand on His promises and trust in His integrity. Even when you don’t feel like holding His hand, He holds yours.”

She nodded and said that’s precisely what she was doing. We prayed together and she had peace.

The next day, our mutual friend Nancy, a nurse, emailed me that Barbara assured her that he knows she’s saved and ready to meet the Lord.

Before leaving this subject let me say that we never want to give false security to someone who is living like the devil and yet believing they are going to Heaven because at some point they walked the aisle of a Baptist church and were baptized.

Paul said, “To this purpose I wrote to you that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things.” (II Corinthians 2:9)

Salvation is not by works. It comes by faith, faith, faith. It’s all of grace. But genuine salvation produces a change inside the human heart. Thereafter, your heart’s desire is to please the Lord.

The proof of your salvation is not a preacher’s signature on a certificate or the memory of an experience or the presence of a feeling. The proof that you are saved is the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ inside you which shows up in the changed way you are living.