The greatest gift God ever gave to mankind was eternal life. This came to us through His wonderful son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus accomplished in and for mankind what he could not accomplish for himself. This salvation is talked about in the book of Romans.
Romans 10:9-10 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The only work mentioned here is your effort to confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth and believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead.
Salvation is available because of God's grace and our Savior's love.
NRS Romans 5:15-21 15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of theone man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many.16And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification.17If, because of the one man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.18Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.19For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.20But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,21so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.Romans 5:15 talks about the gift of salvation. It's here we learn that God describes it as a free gift. Verse 16 again refers to the free gift two more times. Verse 17 talks about a free gift of righteousness.
The reason salvation is free is simple: no man deserves it let alone earns it.
NKJ Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
All the law did was let people see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful kindness became more abundant.
You see, the answer for sin was not another law. The law could never save anyone.
NIV Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.Ephesians 2:5-9 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Over and over again God's word clearly states we are saved by grace not of works no mater what any man tells us.
NJB Romans 3:28 since, as we see it, a person is justified by faith and not by doing what the Law tells him to do.
We are saved by faith and faith alone. The law or a new law will not help in matters of salvation. We are saved by grace, therefore to try and work yourself into a better state is impossible.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
We have God's righteousness. Therefore our righteousness is full and complete. How can you get more than the righteousness of God?
Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Ephesians 1:3-4 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
We are holy because God made us holy.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
We are new because God made us new in Christ.
Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
We are light because God made us light.
A person is justified by faith and not by doing what the law or a law tells him to do.
Romans 10:1-4 1Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Whenever and wherever man refuses to accept what God has offered in Christ bondage and legalism will result.
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Here we have the plain and simple truth and there is no more to it.
Herein lies the problem. Every so often someone will come along with a message from God. Although they may have an infectious zeal for the gospel, if it's not according to the accurate knowledge of God's Word, problems lie ahead.
Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Ephesians teaches us that there is only one spirit that gives us access to the Father. This spirit is given to every born-again believer when he receives Christ.
However, Reverend So—And—So wants to teach us we need to follow a set of laws to become holier to please God. Or we need to set apart ourselves and come out from among the unclean.
Someone else declares in the name of the Lord we need to devote ourselves to become more holy, more righteous, less sinful and more like Jesus.
Some would postulate one of the ways this is accomplished is through the confession of sin. Now on the surface this may sound good, however, if you think a little you will quickly see it's a lie from the pit of hell. Many times this is introduced through the lips of someone under the control of a spirit of witchcraft.
To dig deep and search one's soul to cleanse oneself from sin by confession, "to become something that I am yet to be," is a lie and works salvation.
The only answer for sin is the cross.
Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;Hebrews 9:13-14 13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
We confess sin because of who we are in Christ. We walk in the light because of who God says we are. We walk so we can please Him.
We don't work to become better, holier, and more devout Christians so we can receive something more from God, but rather because of what God has already given us.
We obey and endeavor to please God by walking on His Word because we are thankful for all he has already given us in Christ.
We don't do things because we want to become something.
We already are something!
See how devilish this can get?ÿ