Eph2:8-9 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. NLT
UNDERSTANDING SALVATION
I was teaching a group of believers sometime ago. I asked them to tell me the special good work(s) they did that got them saved. None could point to any. God did not design salvation to be earned with good works. It is a gift from God that we didn't work for. The nature of salvation is such that there is nothing a man can do or would have done to be saved other than to believe in Jesus. Yes, that's just it. Acts16:31: "They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household”.
Religion teaches how to earn salvation. Religion tells you to do certain things, engage in rituals and ensure you follow certain codes of conduct before you can be saved. Man is not known to meet up with religious standards because it is full of do's and dont's. Even under Moses, they couldn't fulfill all of the 613 laws because of man's imperfections:
"For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are", Romans 3:20 NLT. Some are still trying to obey the laws of Moses so that they can earn status with God. If they succeed in obeying one today, they'll fail in others tomorrow. This what Paul say about such people: "But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law", Gal3:10.
The weight and burden of the law was too heavy for mankind to bear because failure to meet up with the standard of the law attracted punishment: "For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)", Romans 4:15 NLT. Thanks be to God who sent his son Jesus Christ to purchase redemption for us with his blood so that we won't need to do any good work, sacrifice or pay to saved. Beware of any gospel that present to you the things you must do to be saved aside believing in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Lord, I thank you because my salvation is full and free. Help me to preach this gospel of your grace around the world in Jesus name. Amen