Salvation by the Gospel Of Grace that the Apostle Paul taught is a Salvation with no good works or religious rituals required. It is not our self righteous good deeds that will make us acceptable to God for our justification. Following The Law of Moses will not save a person neither and that includes God’s Ten Commandments, an absolute truth from God of what is Holy and acceptable. The problem is we cannot keep the Ten Commandments perfectly as God does.
“For by GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
This verse by the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians and to everyone is very clear.
The problem with a Salvation invitation asking for a commitment to Christ is implying to a person that it is their own works that will save them. They need to DO something in order to be justified and kept saved. That however, is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ we find in the Bible.
A commitment to Christ could imply many things such as obeying, being a good person, making a better effort to do good to others and the list goes on and on. Are those things bad to do? No, they are good to do and after our Salvation we should be walking in good deeds and helping others and working on being a better person as a believer.
However, to a person that is not yet saved none of these things MAKE a person righteous. None of these things justify a person with God. None of these things erase the debt of sins we have committed against others and against God.
You see friends, the Bible does not tell us that the wages of sin is good works. The Bible does not tell us that the wages of sin is religious rituals. The wages of sin is not being a good person nor treating others right. The Bible states very clear that God says that the wages of sin is DEATH. An eternal death in a place called hell.
“For the wages of sin is death;…” (Romans 6:23 KJV)
In our own efforts we have no hope and we are already lost and headed for eternal death in a place called hell.
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18 KJV)
Yet, God loved us so much that the second part to this verse in Romans 6 tells us how to be saved. Here is the full verse:
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJV)
Salvation is a GIFT from God to be received and is a gift of God’s amazing grace. It is a gift of God’s Grace. The word gift in this verse in the Greek it was penned is the Greek word ‘charisma‘ and is defined as ‘a favor with which one receives without any merit of his own, an unmerited favor’.
This is a gift we do nothing to earn. A GIFT is not something we work for. It is something we can decide to accept or reject.
How Do We Accept And Receive This Gift Of Eternal Life?
- Going to church does NOT make you a Christian.
- Doing good works and being good to others alone does NOT make you a Christian.
- Being a “good person” does NOT make you a Christian.
- Being born into a family of a certain denomination does NOT make you a Christian.
- Being baptized as a baby does NOT make you a Christian.
- Being baptized with water alone does not make you a Christian.
- Speaking in ‘tongues’ does NOT make you a Christian.
- Asking a priest in a confessional booth to absolve your sins does not make you a Christian.
- Doing penance does not make you a Christian.
- Following Sacraments does not make you Christian.
- Being a good person does not make you a Christian.
There is NOTHING we can DO to become a Christian except one; BELIEVE that Jesus was the Son of God, God in the flesh, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life and took upon Himself the punishment we deserve for our sins on the cross, and rose again. If you BELIEVE this then you are saved. You do not even need a prayer; although it is okay to pray about it with God!
Salvation is by BELIEF in Christ’s work of atonement for our sins, without works as a requirement. It is a FREE GIFT to forgive your sins and wash you 100% clean. And to MAKE you 100% righteous in your Newly Created Spirit.
God is a Perfectly Just being and He MUST punish the sins we committed. But God also loves us perfectly and is Perfect in His Mercy towards us. By sending Himself in the human person of Jesus Christ, living a completely sinless life and taking the punishment that we deserve, God has paid the penalty for our sins. But have you accepted His FREE GIFT of forgiveness? Do you believe?
Believing in the atonement of Christ is the only thing that can save us. Here are many Scriptures about how to be saved. You will notice good works nor self righteous deeds nor religious rituals are not even mentioned. These have been added by mankind at pulpits leading many astray from the true Gospel Of Grace that Apostle Paul taught. These things are not found as the way to receive Salvation and justification with God; but the word “BELIEVE” and “FAITH’ is!
“For by grace are ye saved THROUGH FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye BELIEVED, ye were SEALED with that holy Spirit of PROMISE, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-16 KJV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that BELIEVETH on him is not condemned: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is condemned already, because he hath not BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18 KJV)
“Knowing that a 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.” (Galatians 2:16 KJV)
“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the FAITH of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by FAITH:” (Philippians 3:9 KJV)
“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye BELIEVE on him whom he hath sent.” (John 6:28-29 KJV)
“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that BELIEVETH on me shall never thirst.But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and BELIEVE NOT. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and BELIEVETH on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:35-40 KJV)
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and BELIEVETH on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24 KJV)
“And he BELIEVED in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6 KJV)
“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.” (Romans 1:16 KJV)
“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:” (Romans 3:22 KJV)
“To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which BELIEVETH in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26 KJV)
“But to him that worketh not, but BELIEVETH on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Romans 4:5 KJV)
“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham BELIEVED God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” (James 2:23 KJV)
“Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that BELIEVETH that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5 KJV)
“These things have I written unto you that BELIEVE on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may BELIEVE on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13 KJV)
…. and the list of Scriptures proving this goes on and on and on.
