Saved By Grace Alone Series

I recall hearing an unbelieving preacher illustrate his philosophy by telling of a frog which fell into a large milk can. Try as it would, it could not get out. There was nothing to do but keep paddling, which it did until it churned a pad of butter and presto! saved itself by leaping from its self-made launching pad. Personally, if I fell into a pail of milk I would keep paddling as long as I could too, but I would not make that my philosophy of achieving eternal salvation.

I often ask people a question to gauge their understanding of salvation. I ask, “Suppose you were to die today, and you were to stand before God, and he were to ask you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ What would you say?” How would you answer that question?

People answer as follows:

• “I am not perfect, but I try to do the best I can.”

• “I try to obey the Ten Commandments.”

• “I am a good person, and I am better than most.”

• “I go to church, I pray, I read my Bible.”

• “I love Jesus. I will do anything for him.”

All of these answers are works-righteousness, and not faith. Not one of them will get a single soul into heaven. Apart from the grace of God in our lives, we all pray to God like the Pharisee in Luke 18:11, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” We decide the sins for which we have no guilt. And we compare ourselves favorably to others.

The fact is that we are all dead in our trespasses and sins. All our works are like filthy rags in the sight of God, as Isaiah 64:6 says in The Living Bible, “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we put on our prized robes of righteousness, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves we fade, wither, and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away.”

It is only by God’s grace that any of us are given the gift of saving faith in Jesus Christ. Our works will never save us.

Paul gave us a reason why salvation is not by works. He said in verse 9b, “…so that no one may boast.” Can you imagine if salvation was achieved by our works? We would be going around heaven trying to outdo one another with the works that got us in to heaven. No. We will all agree with Horatio Bonar, who wrote these words:

Not what my hands have done

Can save my guilty soul;

Not what my toiling flesh has borne

Can make my spirit whole.

Not what I feel or do

Can give me peace with God;

Not all my prayers and sighs and tears

Can bear my awful load.

Thy work alone, O Christ,

Can ease this weight of sin;

Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,

Can give me peace within.

Thy love to me, O God,

Not mine, O Lord to thee,

Can rid me of this dark unrest

And set my spirit free.

Thy grace alone, O God,

To me can pardon speak;

Thy pow’r alone, O Son of God,

Can this sore bondage break.

No other work, save thine,

No other blood will do;

No strength, save that which is divine,

Can bear me safely through.

Conclusion

Therefore, having analyzed salvation by grace in Ephesians 2:8-9, let us thank God that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.