Replies

True, ultimate “salvation” in the Biblical sense is found in complete reliance upon Christ’s atonement for our personal righteous standing before the Heavenly Father (2 Corinthians 5:21). Nothing we can do can make us more acceptable to God, for by adding works to faith for salvation, one ends up “falling from grace” (Galatians 5:4). While God has “ordained” us to good works, these works are not the CAUSE but merely the RESPONSE to true LIVING faith (Ephesians 2:8-10). They are the sign that proves whether a person has a living faith which saves or a dead faith which cannot save (James 2:14, 17).

JAMES 2:10: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

GALATIANS 5:4: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

ROMANS 11:6: “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

EPHESIANS 2:8-10: “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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

TITUS 3:7: “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

ROMANS 5:1: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.…”

GALATIANS 3:8, 24-25: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith.…Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

ROMANS 3:20-22, 28: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 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.…Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

ROMANS 4:4-8: “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

PHILIPPIANS 3:9: “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.”

JOHN 6:28-29: “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.”

1 JOHN 5:11-13: “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 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.….”

COLOSSIANS 3:3: “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”6.

HEBREWS 10:10, 14: “…we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.…For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.”