#notofworks

Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The well is deep here!  As ambassadors of God’s grace, we cannot exhaust the principals we find in these verses. This is where the Gospel of the Grace of God lives!

The gift is how God can save any sinner at any time in history, no matter what dispensation they lived in.  It’s BY grace THROUGH faith.  It’s not of works!. The work was done for us by Christ so that God, by his grace, can now offer this free gift that is simply received by the sinner.

Our salvation is unearned and undeserved.  We can do nothing, but God did everything. The means for which salvation is given is BY HIS GRACE.  We access this salvation by the channel of faith.  What is your faith in?  This might be where some people get tripped up.  It’s not in man-made laws, church constitutions, regulatory ordinances, or sacraments.  The object of belief is the work that Christ did on the cross for us.  You cannot add anything to this.  

It’s not of ourselves.  No one is entitled to it.  We do not deserve it.  God didn’t look at us and say, “He’s so special, I’m going to save him.”  No!  God is so full of love that he can look at us, through his son, who paid the ultimate price for our sins, and through faith, we are justified by his grace.

Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

What is the gift?  The power of salvation through the Gospel of Christ is the gift.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Rom 1:16

In times past, God only dealt with Israel. Gentiles didn’t have access or a pathway to God except through Israel.  In order to receive even a blessing and especially salvation, you had to become a proselyte.  But the gospel of Christ is the power of God to all who believe because God did the work of salvation through Christ.

Rom 3:22-24 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:  23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The free gift of God (that cost him everything and us nothing!) is the salvation that you find through Christ’s finished work on the cross. Since it’s God doing the work, it’s not a matter of who you are, it’s a matter of who he is and what he’s done!  There is no boasting on our part! The only thing we can and should boast in is the cross, (Gal 6:14).

Rom 3:27-28 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.  28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”  (John 10:28-29)

 I believe that we can know that we have eternal life.  The Word of God says so.  We can rest in God’s ability to keep us firmly rooted in Him until the end.  “For I know whom I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed to Him against that day.”

 Our salvation begins by putting our faith and trust in what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Salvation does not come by works.  Being good enough or doing good things all our life will not get us into Heaven.  Going to church, being born in a Christian home will not insure us eternal life.

 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no man can boast.”  (Ephesians 2:89)

 It’s because of His grace that we are saved.  He offers us this way to pass from death to life.  He offers us abundant life, hope and the assurance of a home with Him forever.  It’s a gift.  Freely offered to all who will receive it.

 We cannot earn it.  We will never deserve it.  We will never be good enough for it.  And yet, God freely offers it.  His desire is that all will receive this gift by turning from their sin to the forgiveness and life He offers.  God gave up his most prized possession so we could take hold of this eternal life, His very Son.

 I know some believe we can lose our salvation, but I have a really difficult time with that.  I believe that if you truly put your trust in Him, if you truly received His forgiveness and put your life in His hands, then you will firmly stay in that place.  His word says that we belong to Him and “nothing can pluck us from His hands.”

 We know that when we put our trust in Christ for salvation, then we become a child of God.  We are adopted into His family.  We are “born again.”  Can one who is born be unborn?  As a parent, can your child ever stop being your child?  No, in fact, even if they were to go through a season of total rejection to you as a parent, they would never cease to be your child.

 Salvation, as I stated, comes through grace, not works, so why would we think that after we are saved that our works could still save us or our lack of works or obedience could cause him to disown us?  What kind of salvation would that be?

 Our salvation is not dependent upon us and never will be.  Thank goodness or none of us would make it to heaven.  It is His blood that covers our sin and makes us right before the Father in heaven.    I am trusting in His ability to keep me.

 I am so thankful for His grace.  “He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever.  He does not treat us as our sins deserve.” (Psalm 103:8-10)  Having said that though, His grace is not an excuse to live however we please, knowing that He’s going to forgive us anyways.

 God wants us to live holy lives.  He said, “The sacrifices He requires are that of a broken and a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 51:17)  We must live in a place of sensitivity to sin, a place of repentance and confession and of keeping our hearts right with Him at all times.

 His grace and His great love and mercy should be motivation to keep us in that place.  We cannot do this on our own.  We need Him desperately.  We need to continually be filled with the Spirit of God.  He is the one who convicts us of sin and gives us the strength to do what is right. 

 He is also the one who communes with our spirits and gives us the assurance that we belong to Him, causing our hearts to cry out, “ABBA FATHER.”  We can have that confidence that we are one of His.  His precious child held safe and secure in His powerful, mighty and loving hands!  Enabled to boldly approach the throne of the most high God to find grace and help in time of need.