#10 - Salvation By Faith and Grace
- Mar 18, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 12, 2025
We should all strive to be good people. Be kind and loving to others and avoid doing wrong. Be respectful and accepting and live in harmony. Just be a good person, isn't that all that matters?
Shouldn't a good person go to Heaven? Does helping others and doing good works bring honor and respect from God? Will good works help you be rewarded by God and help you enter heaven? Does God keep score of the good things we do versus the bad? How good is 'good enough'?
Where would you draw a line? Would you agree the evilest person, a murderer, should not go to heaven? What about your sweet grandma, the nicest person you know? Shouldn't she get to go to heaven? I have family members who firmly believe being a good person is all that matters.
And a co-worker in an accounting practice told me he did his best to live a good pure life. In fact, he said his only 'vice' was that he drank cola that contained caffeine, and "he shouldn't be doing that". If what he told me is true, and that was his only vice, then wow, he is a very good person indeed!
How does being good and doing good works fit in?
How might God view faith vs. works?
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
The apostle Paul says we are saved by faith and grace as a gift from God. There will be no boasting in Heaven about how small your 'vices' were, or what you did to earn your spot.
A very impressive example of salvation by faith and grace and not by works (what we do) is the account of the thief on the cross that was being crucified alongside of Jesus.
Luke 23 39-43
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The thief had no opportunity to live a good life after believing in Christ. He could not work his way into heaven by good deeds as his death was imminent. He was dying for his acts of thievery. Yet without any works or good deeds, he was saved by his faith, by his belief in Jesus.
John 6:40
"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
There are over 150 verses in the Bible that state that we are saved by faith.
But what about works? We all need to do good works, right?
Romans 6:15
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not""
Luke 6:46
"And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”
Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Works are important as they show your faith. We have to believe what Jesus says and follow-up by doing them. They will know we are Christians by our love for each other, by our love for fellow man, and by our good works. If we love our neighbor, we use actions to speak louder than words. We honor Christ and spread his message of salvation via our good deeds.
We also individually strive to live a purer life, and our faith is not a 'license' to continue in sin. This essentially is the Christian 'walk', to focus on and prioritize what Christ would like us to do over what we might want for ourselves. If we truly love our neighbor, we will consider and help with their needs.
I admit the 'doing good works part' after you are saved is not easy for me. I tried street-witnessing in front of abortion centers (way back in the day) and I just didn't have the boldness needed for that.
Then later, as a trans, I felt people would not take me seriously as a Christian, and I kept my faith quietly to myself for years. I had a hard time in Church as I was singled out. I found it painful, so I disassociated from any formal Church attendance, which also removed me from any group efforts and from any formal Church outreach or helping programs.
I went about life, trusting Christ, but just blending into society and I feel convicted to now wake up and share my faith. I am putting this website and my videos and book out there now to share and to help point toward Jesus.
I tend to keep to myself too much. I am pretty sure I am not alone in this; it is the American way. You 'do you' over there, and I will 'do me' over here, and let's all just get along. Is church only for Sundays?
We all easily fall into insulating ourselves, where we keep to ourselves, we fear for our jobs, we keep quiet for fear of disturbing others. We like our comfort. That is a part of my personal struggle, and I would like to do better at being an example for Christ, to outwardly show my salvation by the things I do.
Romans 3:23
23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
I thank God for his great mercy on me and for saving me.
I know that I don't deserve heaven by anything I have done or works I will do. Salvation is God's gift for me, a sinner saved by grace.
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Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen.
(The sinner's prayer / Billy Graham)
