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The whole thing reminded me of the Catholic approach to man doing the work. I see many who “do good works” and rely on those “good works” as their entry into salvation.

Let me be very emphatic in saying we are saved by grace, NOT WORKS OF ANY MAN, including mine, or yours. It is by Christ's righteousness we are saved, not mans.

Now, I am an old man, and I have walked with the Lord many years and miles, and I see myself shorting the Lord in the statement. The Word says we are saved by grace through faith, and not of ourselves least any man should boast, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no man can boast.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Romans 5:1-2

Note carefully, we have access to His grace by faith. Faith is the door into His grace. So the big question revolves around the word faith. What is it? Faith is primarily a verb. Faith is an action, or a readiness to act, based on confidence one has in the object of his belief. Consider the ramifications of that statement carefully.

>> Faith is an action, or a readiness to act, based on confidence one has in the object of his belief.<<

No doubt about it. But we need to understand what Christ said when asked what works meant.

“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

Then we need to understand that even the faith we have is the faith OF Christ within us and some faith we have on our own.

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:

It is Christ’s faith instilled in us not our own.