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QUESTION 73
If you say salvation is by "grace alone," what place does "good works" have in salvation?

ANSWER:
It would seem, man never seemed to want to acknowledge his helplessness in the matter of eternal salvation.  Our own personal works have no part at all in salvation, from the beginning to the end. Now, this will shock you!

Ephesians 2:8-10, gives us a full answer: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:9), Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:10), For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

You will notice that it is grace on God's part, and faith on ours. It is not faith that saves us, but Christ. Put the same faith in any other person, and it is useless. It is not of works, if so man could boast. We neither get saved, nor stay saved by our works. (Ephesians 2:10) says, "we are His workmanship.." (lit. masterpiece). It is only used in Romans 1:20, of the things, "He made" in creation.; This is where we get our English word "poem" from. Creation never evolved or made itself, neither does a poem compose itself. It takes a Creator and a Poet to do these things. He has created every believer to good works. What Christ has done FOR us on the Cross, He does IN US, when we trust Him. It is all of Him. 1 Corinthians 1:30. Philippians 2:13, "...it is God that worketh in you both to WILL and DO His good pleasure."

The measure He does this work in a believer is determined in time, to surrender oneself completely to His working. You can't live a Christian life until you believe it, then it lives in you. How about you dear reader? Have you received Him as Saviour and Lord, yet?

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen