A lot of people do not comprehend the fact that our salvation is purely based on our
faith, it is a gift from God. And God cannot be more clear on this fact. In Ephesians chapter
2, starting in verse 8, the Bible reads, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."
So God's telling us here, by His grace, through our faith, we're saved. It's not of our own
works, it's a free gift. So an example would be, if I was to say to you, "Look, I'm going
to wash your car for free as a gift." And then a couple of weeks later, I come back
and say to you, "Look, can I actually have some money for that?" At that point, is that
a gift? No, it's not. So what God's saying here is our salvation is based purely on our
faith, it is a free gift from Him. We cannot work for it. And God writes in Isaiah 64,
verse 6, "But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags." So God explaining here that our works in regards to being saved are as filthy rags
to Him. The thought of us being righteous and working our way to heaven in the sight
of God to Him is offensive. He's not saying that He doesn't want us to do good works,
but He's saying in regards to our salvation, it means nothing to God. If we could earn
our way to heaven, then why did the Lord Jesus Christ have to come down and suffer such a
horrific death at the cross, and then His soul had to go to hell for three days and
three nights to pay for our sins? It's purely our faith in Jesus Christ's finished work
at the cross, His death, burial, and resurrection that saves us. He's further emphasised the
fact that our salvation is purely by faith and not of works. In Galatians chapter 2,
verse 16, God writes, "Knowing that the man is not justified by the works of the law,
but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might
be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works
of the law shall no flesh be justified." And in Titus chapter 3, verse 5, God writes, "Not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by
the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which He shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life." God hammering the point that it's just by the
finished works of the Lord Jesus Christ and putting our faith in Him that saves us. And
one final passage to complete this point. In Romans chapter 11, verse 6, God writes,
"And if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace, but if it
be of works, then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work." So God hammering the
point here that none of our works, none of our righteousnesses are acceptable in His
sight. The only thing that saves us is putting all our faith in Jesus Christ and what He's
done for us.