Mission Venture Ministries

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) 

These verses state that we should trust what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us and that there is nothing we can do to pay the eternal debt for sin. Everything the all-sufficient Savior has done is gloriously revealed throughout the Bible, while trusting in what man must do – opposes the Word of God. “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work” (Romans 11:6). 

Good works and religious rituals can never satisfy divine justice for sin because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We were destined for condemnation by all that is righteous and we are accountable for all our unrighteousness until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and make Him the Lord of our life. “Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). 

Our eternal prospect changed from utter hopelessness, darkness and despair into wonderful hope and joyful amazement. It is God who has done these great things for us. Therefore, what a finite man could never do, the eternal Son of God has done. The eternal sin debt was nailed to His cross (Colossians 2:13-14). Jesus Christ, who is God’s perfect man and man’s perfect God, died as a substitute to satisfy divine justice for those who trust in Him alone. 

The glorious Gospel of grace is to believe what Christ has done and repent of what man thinks he must do. 

Only those who trust in what Jesus Christy has done can receive the gift of eternal life. It can never be merit by what man thinks he must do, because it would never be enough. God does not save people based on the deeds they do. “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5). 

Many however state the verses that James wrote in Chapter 2:14-18. “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 

First we need to understand that even though James was Jesus’ half brother he was writing to the Jewish people who were still steeped in the Mosaic Law and their belief involved both faith and works. 

James spent considerable time explaining the difficult truth that no one is justified by the works of the law. He declares to his fellow Jews that even if they try their very best to keep all the various laws and rituals, doing so is impossible, for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10). 

James makes clear that saving faith in Christ is active and transformative. Salvation is about placing our trust in Christ; this transforms us in such a way that we begin to make new and different choices. He’s talking about doing good works that are consistent with loving other Christians and obeying the Father. That’s what those who trust in Christ begin to do.

Later when Paul writes to the Galatians we see where the Jewish Christians state their new understanding, “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:15-16). 

Once you have been reconciled to God by trusting in what Christ has done, you are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do the good works He has prepared for you (Ephesians 2:10). What you do for God as a born-again Christian will be motivated by your love and thanksgiving for all Christ has done. Therefore, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17). 

We need to understand that because salvation by works appeals to man’s sinful nature, it forms the basis of almost every religion except for true biblical Christianity. Proverbs 14:12 tells us that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” 

Salvation by works seems right to men, which is why it is the predominantly held viewpoint by many religions. That is exactly why true biblical Christianity is so different from all other beliefs; it is the only doctrine that teaches salvation is a gift of God and not of works. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). 

1 John 2:2 says that on the cross every sin ever committed by man was paid for in full. “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 

The Bible’s use of the word “propitiation” is an emphatic statement that man cannot earn God’s grace or salvation by works. The word means “full payment.” Christ is the full payment, not partial payment added to and completed by our good works. Thus man’s sin is removed totally by Christ based solely on His payment for our sins. God then imparts unmerited righteousness to the believer, when he by simple faith, believes in the Scriptures and trusts God. 

Consequently Christians are NOT saved by their good works.  Christians are saved to do good works and it is crucially important to know the difference. 

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