Saved by God’s Grace, Not by Our Good
Saved by God’s Grace, Not by Our Good PDF
This topic includes the fundamentals about salvation and the gift of eternal life.
Unfortunately, there are many religions, in fact all the other world religions that I know of, which teach that a man can only be saved by his own good deeds.
This false theology teaches that man can EARN his way with God by his own efforts.
But please ask yourself a simple question; how can a sinner earn his way with a perfect, holy God??
This shows us the hopelessness found in man’s religion.
Christianity is the only belief system in the world that differs, according to the one and only Word of God; the Bible.
The Truth of God’s Word reveals a gracious and patient God who offers eternal life to those who have sinned against Him (that’s all of us)….
…. and He offers this as a gift to man BY GRACE, which means undeserved kindness, NOT by our own works or efforts to make it up to Him.
Therefore, no man can boast in himself, but only in the love and mercy of His Creator.
The word “grace” is not only defined as undeserved kindness, but is also often defined as God’s unmerited favor.
And while it’s true that a believer will end up producing good works in his life, that only comes from first being changed by God’s grace, through God-given faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 6:63-65 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
GOD is the One who saves; the One who even gives man the faith to believe in His Son!
And good works are never the source of our salvation, they are merely the good fruit that results from God changing a man’s heart. God changes man from the inside out, by grace. Eph 2:8-10
Eph 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
I hope you notice that even though good works will result, man is not saved as a result of his works!
And only God can change a man’s heart, and that’s what occurs in a man who finally repents towards God and places his trust in Christ alone for his salvation.
This is the miracle of what the Bible calls being “born again”. John 3:8, 1Pe 1:3-5
The Bible reveals man is saved by God’s grace, through faith, and by no other way!
That’s why Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life, and no one goes to the Father except through Me.” Joh 14:6
Let’s begin examining Holy Scripture regarding this subject; that man is saved by God’s grace, through faith, and not by his own good efforts.
Acts 16:29-31 And he (the Roman jailor) called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
The New Testament was originally written in the Greek language, which is a very specific and descriptive language.
God used this language to give us great detail in His Word.
“Believe” = Pisteuson , which means to believe, have faith in, be convinced of, trust, rely on, have confidence in.
“Believe” is in the aorist tense, which is a unique verb tense to the Greek language.
The aorist tense speaks of making a one-moment decision to believe in Christ.
This reveals that at the moment someone believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, he is saved on the spot, by the grace of God!
At the moment a man places his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, he is “born again”, or “born of the Spirit”, as in John 3.
And let’s also note; this new birth is not of man’s own will, but “of God”, just as a man doesn’t know where the wind comes from or where it is going. (Read John 3:1-18)
This salvation is an actual event that takes place by the grace and power of God, at one moment in time, for the man who finally surrenders to Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
Now, we should also realize, the conversion process of a person could be a long or a short time.
Everyone is different, and it often depends on the stubbornness of one’s flesh.
For example, some people have been humbled by life and come to Christ at a young age because they’re ready to surrender , asking forgiveness for their sins!
Others will seek God for many years before they’re willing to admit they’re a sinner and repent towards God, turning to Christ for salvation. Act 20:21
But, in Act 16:31, it was the moment of truth for this man.
Acts 16:30-31 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Paul was basically saying to the Roman jailor; “if you believe in Him, right now, in this moment, you will be saved. Place your trust in the Lord Jesus.”
We just learned all this from the Greek language.
The grace of God, as we will see, is eagerly waiting to grant the gift of eternal life to the humble person!
Man is called to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus as his Savior. Mark 1:15, John 3:16-18
In Acts 16, the Roman jailor already has a humble/repentant attitude, so Paul simply says “believe”!
But let’s also remember; even the faith to believe is a gift from God, my friends, according to Holy Scripture! Eph 2:8-9, Rom 12:3
For now, let’s look at this:
Rom 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Notice, it is GOD who gives faith to man.
The human flesh, our old sinful nature, cannot believe in Christ on its own!
It requires supernatural work to make a spiritually dead person come alive! Joh 3:5-8, Eph 2:1-10
So, back to Acts 16:31…
“Believe” is in the active voice in the Greek; which indicates the subject must perform the action of believing.
So, let’s remember, we’re talking about supernatural things!!!
Even though being born again is a miracle of God and faith is a gift from God, man’s choice/volition is also somehow involved in salvation.
And this is the option to “believe” is presented to the Roman jailor.
And the imperative mood states this is a command. So, this is a command to “believe”, if he wants to be saved.
Now, here’s a very important side note to understand in our world today:
“Believe” in Whom??? – The One and Only Savior ; “The LORD Jesus”
The Greek word for “Lord” is Kurion ; which means Supreme controller, owner, master, lord.
It refers to Jesus Christ being THE LORD, controller, owner, master of everything in the universe!
This is one of many reasons in Holy Scripture that we know Jesus was more than just a man.
For some examples… 🙂
As the Lord Jesus said, He and the Father are one! Joh 10:30
Jesus also said when you’ve seen Him you’ve seen the Father! Joh 14:9
We also know the child promised to us was called “Immanuel”, which means “God with us”, Isa 7:14, Mat 1:23,…
… called as well “Mighty God”, and “Eternal Father”! Isa 9:6
And, Colossians 1 reveals to us that the Lord Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all things!
Col 1:15-17 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
With all this evidence of the deity of Christ, please note: if someone only believes in Jesus as a good man, or even a prophet, that is NOT going to save him!
One must believe in the Jesus described in Holy Scripture…
… the One who is not only a man, but the LORD, God in the flesh who came down to save us from our sins. Joh 1:1,14, 8:58, Act 16:31, Phil 2:6-8, Col 1:15-17 (and there are many more)
Otherwise, that person believes in “another Jesus”. 2Co 11:4
Now, notice in our main passage, the Roman jailer asked Paul what he must DO to be saved.
Acts 16:30-31 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Paul let him know he must “believe” rather than “do” in order to be saved.
When the people asked Jesus, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” Jesus replied, “This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent.” (John 6:28-29).
First of all, notice believing is the work “of God”, not of man.
Man can “do” nothing on his own to please a perfect God!
Our Lord made it clear that trusting in Him alone is the issue in eternal salvation…. because He did all the work on the Cross that was necessary to save us.
He came to SAVE the world and those in it, and out of His tremendous love for us He paid our full price of judgment.
Joh 3:17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.”
Joh 10:9-11 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
Joh 12:47 “And if anyone hears My saying, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”
We must also note the clarity of the Scriptures regarding the Lord Jesus being THE ONLY NAME by which a person can be saved.
Once you examine the evidence for the Divine Inspiration of Scripture and you realize that GOD inspired the Holy Bible (using men to write it), then you must believe what the Bible says about being saved.
(See our lessons on Biblical Evidences, and Prophecies about The Messiah, so you can examine the evidence God has provided for us. http://www.christsavesministries.org/prophecy/)
Again, there is only ONE NAME under heaven by which a person can be saved from their sins, and that’s because there’s ONLY ONE who actually paid the price for man’s sins!
Acts 16:31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.”
And this name is mentioned in Acts 4:10, “by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead”
In Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”
And HOW are we saved??? How can a man even come to believe in Christ??? – Only through the GRACE of the Lord Jesus Christ!
It’s God’s grace that empowers us to even believe!
Eph 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”
1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Acts 15:11a “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus.”
The Greek word for grace is “charis”, and it means an undeserved, unmerited favor; something freely given to someone, out of pure kindness.
We might also define grace as a gift given with no strings attached.
Our Lord Jesus said in Rev 22:17b NIV
“Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”
The analogy is this: just as the physical body needs water to live, the spiritual part of us, our soul, needs eternal water to live eternally!
And JESUS IS the water of eternal life!
And just as ANYONE can drink a glass of water, ANYONE can have faith in Jesus Christ and be saved, yet only by the grace and power of God!
Here’s the same verse in the NASB:
Rev 22:17b “And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”
The following passage explains the finished work of our Lord and Savior (“finished” as our Lord Himself said on the Cross in Joh 19:30).
Rom 5:8-10 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
Think about it: if the Lord died for us while we were sinners and unbelievers in His name, then much more now that we believe in Him, we can be certain we will be saved by His life!
Again, we are saved by the GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:15-18 “But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression (sin) of the one (Adam) the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.
For if by the transgression (sin) of the one(Adam), death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
Notice how many times we see the word “gift”, which is a sign of God’s grace.
If we are all born trapped in sin because of our relationship to the first man, Adam, then MUCH MORE God is able to save us based on our relationship to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In His divine love and integrity, the Lord decided to come down to earth Himself, to save us from our sins once for all!!
It was part of His Master Plan… of His all-knowing plan of grace.
And even though we are all sinners and all guilty and all deserving judgment, God provided salvation for us by grace, NOT to any of our credit.
And Holy Scripture is very clear on God’s grace and love being His motivation for coming to save us.
Let’s now read two beautiful passages IN CONTEXT.
Eph 2:1-10 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Does it get any more clear and beautiful than that?? – That’s one passage that clearly gives us the whole picture.
Here’s another passage that spells it out for us so nicely:
Titus 3:3-7 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
These passages from the Church letters are written to those who are believers in the Lord Jesus as their Savior; it is written to those of us now looking back on what God has done for us!
Note; it’s the kindness of God and the mercy of God that reached down to justify us, by His grace.
Simply amazing – why did God even consider us at all?!
Again, grace means an undeserved favor; or something freely given to someone, in kindness.
And how do we receive His grace, or His favor or gift? – The Bible says it’s through this thing called “faith”.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
And here’s a very interesting point to consider!
There are many passages revealing that we receive God’s grace through faith, and yet, even faith is a grace gift from God! Mat 16:15-17, Joh 1:12-13, Act 11:18, Rom 12:3, Eph 2:8-9, Jam 1:16-18
If faith is something “good”, and it clearly is according to the Bible, then how can a sinner produce it on his own?? – HE CANNOT.
Sinners, according to the Bible, can do NOTHING truly good in God’s eyes. Rom 3:10-23
This is why God has to grant us faith that saves.
Matt 16:15-17 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Only the Father can open our spiritual eyes. Only God can give us faith.
John 1:12-13 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Sinful man cannot will himself to be born again, he has to be born “of God”.
Again, we’re talking about how even faith comes to us by the grace of God.
Rom 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
ALL GOOD THINGS, of which FAITH is certainly included, come from our dear God above.
James 1:16-18 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
So we must humbly conclude; even faith is be a gift from our Father above.
And once we’ve been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the Bible reveals that we CANNOT lose this gift from God… because then, we are in His Almighty hands, once for all!
Disclaimer: This does not refer to people who were never saved in the first place, who cling to some form of religion and not to the Savior. 1Jo 2:19
But for those who have repented and placed their trust in Christ, the Bible tells us they are saved forevermore!
John 10:27-30 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 “I and the Father are one.”
Rom 11:29 “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”
Holy Scripture tells us that this gift of eternal life is FOREVER, and there is security for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Another example of this security is found in 1Cor 3 which states that even if a believer’s works get burned up, HE HIMSELF WILL STILL BE SAVED.
You might be asking yourself; “How can this be?”
It’s because God’s salvation is NOT based on our works in the first place, but on His grace, through faith alone in Christ alone!
Our salvation is resting upon the perfect foundation that only Jesus Christ Himself laid down for us with His own blood.
Col 1:19-20 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
We believers are being guarded by God’s power, and God is all-powerful,… so what do we have to worry about?!
It was Christ’s perfect work on the Cross that purchased for us the way to eternal life.
That’s another reason why man can only be saved by the grace through faith in Christ alone!
1 Cor 3:11-15 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
The true believer will suffer loss of rewards in heaven, but he will still be saved and be in heaven because he has placed his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ… and the Lord is perfectly faithful.
And let’s also remember, as a believer who lives his life for Christ, your life is not in vain. Heb 6:9-12
You and I have an opportunity to be a witness for God and bring Him glory in the invisible spiritual war going on around us!
But rest assured, your salvation is NOT based on your own supposed goodness; it’s based on trusting in Christ’s perfect work on the Cross, which He accomplished on our behalf.
John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Jesus completely paid our debt on the cross; at least for those willing to believe in His Name.
Col 2:13-14 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Salvation is based on trusting in Christ INSTEAD OF trusting in yourself. Please think about that!
It’s one or the other, and everyone must ask themselves where their heart is on the matter!!
In your “heart of hearts”, in your inner motivation, which person are you in the following parable???
Luke 18:9-14 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Are you trusting in God’s grace to save you, or in your own supposed good works to save you??
Now, some of you are wondering; “where do good works fit in to all of this?”
Doing good works is THE BELIEVER’S great opportunity to glorify God, and they are not done in man’s own power!
The only good works that are truly good, and that God accepts, are those done in His power.
Truly good works can only be performed by a believer whose empowered by the Spirit of Christ.
Human forms of good do not measure up with God’s perfect standard, and are therefore not acceptable to God! Isa 64:6, Rom 3:10
Isa 64:4 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Rom 3:10-12 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
Only works done by a person relying on the grace of Christ are “good” in God’s eyes.
For the believer who now has the Spirit of Christ within him, his possibilities are totally different!
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
We must always remember, good works are a RESULT of our salvation, NOT the WAY TO salvation.
Jesus said only HE is the WAY to salvation…
John 14:5-6 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
So we must biblically conclude this: good works come from God and are the FRUIT of a saved person, and they’re also our way of thanking God for His salvation.
Yet we must never forget; man can ONLY be saved by God’s grace, through faith in Christ, and NOT by works, so no man can boast before God.
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
So, we can certainly conclude we are saved by God’s grace, not by our good!
Let’s also realize that Holy Scripture tells us that some people “believe in vain”, as in:
1Co 15:1-2: “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
What does this mean? Let’s talk about this for a minute… what might it mean to “believe in vain”?
For example – did you trust in Christ alone to save you?,…
OR, did you add your own attempts at good and give yourself credit in earning your way to heaven?… therefore trying to pay for the free gift of eternal life? (Rom 6:23b, 11:6, Acts 8:20)
If that’s what going on in your heart, then you might not be saved, my friend!
For another example – did you believe in Jesus Christ as LORD, God in the flesh, the “Son of the Living God”, as the Bible reveals Him??…
OR, did you believe in Jesus as only a good man and a prophet, or just another god, or even an angel?
If that’s what going on in your heart, then you might not be saved, my friend!
That’s NOT the Jesus of the Bible!
As Jesus asked Peter, in Matt 16:15-16 “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
You are not saved if you’ve believed in “another Jesus”. 2Co 11:4
And you are not saved if you have added to the work of Christ on the Cross, thinking something you do contributes to going to heaven, wrongly thinking you can save yourself!
If you could save yourself, then why did the Christ come and sacrifice Himself?
In other words, you have not accepted His free gift of eternal life if you have tried to pay for it yourself!
If that’s you, then please surrender and repent towards God, right now! (Simply cry out to Him for His great mercy, as in Luke 18)
Because the Bible reveals it’s actually IMPOSSIBLE for a sinner to please a perfect God on his own.
If he wants to be saved, man must turn away (repent) from trusting in himself and his own goodness to appease God. He must trust in the Savior alone.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Think about it… it must have been absolutely necessary to our salvation for Jesus to come and suffer the way He did for us.
And after all, isn’t that what a Savior does??? He saves!!!
And the point is that Christ alone is worthy, so place your trust in Him alone. 🙂
Hopefully we can now see how evil and foolish it is in God’s eyes for us to trust in ourselves for salvation!
Finally, part of believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Jesus of the Bible, is also believing He rose from the grave.
Otherwise, we are believing in “another Jesus”, ala 2Co 11:4, and not the Jesus of the Bible.
The resurrection is even the lynchpin of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It is the KEY!
The Corinthians had trouble believing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, but this is a vital part of the Good News.
Paul mentions that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then our preaching and our faith are in vain! 1Cor 15:14
And if Christ has not been raised from the dead, then we are all still dead in our sins! 1Cor 15:17
1 Cor 15:12-20 NIV
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Again, His resurrection is a VITAL part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! People must know that He not only died for us, but He also rose from the grave in victory!
Otherwise, how is the Gospel the “Good News” if we have no hope of eternal life afterwards?
Even up until today, 2000 years later, they still cannot find the remains of Jesus’ body in the tomb.
And that’s because it’s simply not there, according to 500 eyewitnesses that saw Him 3 days after He died on the cross.
Here’s what the Apostle Paul wrote about his meeting the Lord after His resurrection:
1 Cor 15:1-8 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
Paul goes on to say in 1Cor 15 that he did not believe in vain. Why? – Because he wholeheartedly believed and relied upon Christ’s resurrection from the dead!
The resurrection is the very proof that gives us the hope of eternal life.
And the resurrection proved that Jesus is who He said He is; the Son of God in the flesh, and the Savior of the world.
1Ti 4:10 “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.”
Jesus came for all types of people around the world, not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles too. (by the way, if you’re not Jewish, you’re a Gentile 🙂
Some of you may be struggling to believe in Him, or in His resurrection.
Maybe it makes no sense to you, or you’re stuck in your current beliefs, whatever they might be.
But by the grace and mercy of God, your Creator and Savior is reaching out to you right now.
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
God has a certain love for you, even though you’ve sinned against Him… as have I.
He is calling you right now to believe in His precious Son.
He wants you to be reconciled to Him, to have permanent peace with Him, through faith in the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior.
And you can be saved for all eternity, no matter what you’ve done in the past, if you are willing to repent and receive His offer of grace, who is Jesus Himself.
2 Cor 5:20-6:2 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
6:1 And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain — 2 for He says,
“AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU,
AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.”
Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION” —
It doesn’t matter where you’ve come from,… or what your background is… or how you’ve sinned against God.
We are ALL guilty and have ALL fallen short of the glory of God. (Rom 3)
But right now, you have a chance at eternal redemption!
We beg you, on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God.
If you’re willing to surrender to the Holy God of the Universe, you can ask Him for mercy and forgiveness for your sins,… and turn to His precious Son with your heart, to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Rom 10:8-11 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
If you’re willing to repent and place your trust in Christ alone, turning away from your own attempts at earning salvation, then He will save you!
We must remember and believe… Jesus was the only truly good One…
… and by repenting of our sins and trusting in His sacrifice, God promises to save us from both sin and death, forever and ever!
In Mark 1:15, our Lord Jesus said:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
And as we started this lesson, Paul said to the humbled Roman jailor in Acts 16:31: They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Salvation comes to us by God’s grace alone, not by anything that sinful man can do on his own. Amen?