BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH
“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
- GOD’S WAY OF SALVATION
- GOD’S WAY THUS DIFFERS FROM MAN’S WAY
1. “FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH”
“by grace” is the unmerited love and favor of God toward sinners. No one can or does deserve to be saved.
“through faith” one becomes a partaker of God’s grace through their personal acceptance of it, believing it to be so by believing God’s Word – “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” Romans 10:17
2. “IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD”
Salvation is God’s provision afforded to man because Jesus Christ died on the cross, paying man’s sin debt through His shed blood, and affording man acceptance unto God through the offering of His very own Divine righteousness.
God accepted the blood atonement and offering of Christ’s righteousness as the merits by which man is made acceptable to God. He proved this when He raised Christ from the dead, demonstrating that He was well pleased with Christ’s work of redemption for man.
Thus, salvation is offered to man, as the gift of God’s free grace – unto all – but it is upon all those who receive it by faith – “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: For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Romans 3:22,23,27,28
MAN’S WAY:
~”that of yourselves”
~”of works – so that man should boast”
Man’s way of salvation is a belief that everything is finally made conditional on man’s own merits and works: that if one is good enough, they will go to heaven and if they are not, they will not.
Thus, men join churches, are baptized, observe ceremonies and ordinances, and take confidence in their goodness as all being factors to achieve their salvation.
BUT THIS IS WRONG!
Because the scripture says:
~“and that not of yourselves”
~“not of works lest any man should boast”
MAN’S WAY – makes the foundation of salvation to be that which is found in and of themselves.
MAN’S WAY – makes the motive for salvation to be the achieving of a status and standing that he deems to have a worthiness to enter into God’s heaven.
Thus, man’s way befriends the natural man by complimenting man for his own goodness. Thus, the popularity of churches of human origin is clearly understood.
GOD’S WAY requires (commands) all men everywhere to repent and trust in Christ as the One by whom they are saved, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Romans 3:10-12
Unless one does repent, they find God’s way to be offensive to the pride and self-esteem of their natural self.
ARE YE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH?
