I'm surprised that so many go along with the idea that we can be saved by good works, when the Bible says just the opposite.

The idea of Jesus Christ as the sole mediator between God and humanity is a central theme in the Bible, and one to be upheld in principle. In 1 Timothy 2:5, it says, "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." It could not be more clearly stated.

Salvation by works implies that our good deeds and efforts are what earn us a place in heaven. However, the Bible teaches that salvation is a gift from God, received through faith in Jesus Christ. This means that no matter how hard we try or how good we are, we can't earn our way to heaven. Instead, God's grace and love for us are what saves us, and we receive this gift by putting our faith in Jesus.

The key difference is that works-based salvation relies on our own efforts, whereas God's grace saves us without us having to earn it. What does not earn a gift. In Ephesians 2:8-9, it says, 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.' This verse highlights the distinction between earning salvation and receiving it as a gift.

When we understand salvation as a gift of God's grace, it frees us from the burden of trying to earn our way to heaven and allows us to rest in the knowledge that we're saved because of God's love for us, not because of our own efforts. Jesus already loves us. We don't have to earn his love, nor salvation. Our Salvation is not determined by our performance. Scripture is clear about that.

The word "grace" itself, means UN-earned favor from God. Salvation is a gift from God, received through faith, and not something we can earn through our good works. Good works are the FRUIT of our salvation...they never come before salvation. John 3:16 does not say that we are saved by good works, but by God's grace, through faith. God did not give man permission to switch that around. How can we say differently, when it is written in God's own word?

One verse that comes to mind is Romans 3:28, which says, "For we maintain that a person is justified before God by faith, apart from the works of the law." This verse highlights that it's faith in Jesus Christ, not our good works, that justifies us before God.

Another verse that is helpful is Titus 3:5, which says, "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we become heirs, having the hope of eternal life." This verse emphasizes that our salvation comes through God's grace and the work of the Holy Spirit, not because of any good works we've done.

Also consider Romans 4:4-5, which says, "Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." This verse illustrates the contrast between earning something through work and receiving something as a gift through faith.

These verses can help show that our good works don't precede our salvation or earn us a right standing with God. Instead, it's our faith in Jesus Christ that saves us, and then our good works follow as a natural response to God's love and mercy. I'm sure glad I don't have to earn my way to heaven, because there's no way that man can do this. We do not have the saving power within us, to save ourselves. Thus, our need for Jesus as our personal Savior. If it were possible to save ourselves, then Jesus would not have had to die on the cross to save us from the condemnation that sin placed on us. The Bible says only a pure sacrifice, one without sin, can erase our sins, and that One who is worthy enough to pay for our sins, was none other than Jesus Christ, when he made atonement for our sins on the cross. Without this knowledge we have no basis for salvation. His death and resurrection were not in vain. John 3:16 does not say we can earn our way to heaven but only by God's grace through faith. We must have faith and trust enough in God, if we want to be saved. We never have to earn his love. He already loves us. Salvation is never based on our performance.

Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, and attempting to earn salvation through good works, diminishes the significance of Christ's sacrifice. By acknowledging that we're saved by God's grace through faith, we're honoring Jesus and His sacrifice.

If we try to save ourselves through good works, it would be like saying that Jesus's death and resurrection weren't enough, and that we need to add our own efforts to complete the job. That's not what the Bible teaches. Instead, it emphasizes that Jesus's sacrifice was sufficient and complete, and that we receive salvation as a gift through faith in Him.

In Galatians 2:21, Paul writes, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing."

This verse highlights the idea that if we could earn salvation through our own efforts, then Jesus's sacrifice would be unnecessary. No one will ever love us like Jesus, and he proved it on the cross.