Part 1

The Scriptures teach us that neither our own meritorious works nor works of the Law will earn us entrance into heaven...

Ephesians 2:7-9 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through the faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Salvation is clearly the gift of God's grace, as it is not from us. Paul is not claiming that "faith" is not of ourselves, clearly we must believe and have personal faith... he is explaining that the "gift of God" is not of ourselves. The "gift" is because of God's grace and our "obedience to the faith". There is something we must obey to be saved. Yet, there are many people who claim that requiring obedience for salvation is the same as working our way into heaven on our own merit. When Paul refers to works in this passage, notice the type of works he classifies. He clearly points out that we cannot gain God’s grace by works that we can boast about, “lest any man should boast.” He does not exclude works altogether, but rather works of our own merit and works of the Jewish Law is what he is excluding. It is impossible for Paul to be excluding every type of work, because salvation in itself is a “work of God”.

Can we somehow claim that hearing, believing, repenting, confessing, and baptism are works of ourselves? No, not according to the Bible…

John 6:27-29 "Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal." Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."

Jesus clearly said, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom He has sent." We must "believe in Him" which is "the work of God". While it is a work of God, WE must do it. The commandments we are required to obey in order to be saved are works of faith, or the works of God.

Now think about Noah... he and his family had to build this massive boat… no doubt a lot of manual labor, but did they work their way into heaven? No, they did a work out of faith, or a work of God…

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Consider Romans 10:17... So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Then 2 Corinthians 5:7... For we walk by faith, not by sight:

We learn how Noah heard God (“being warned of God”)…

and he obeyed (“moved with fear” and “prepared an ark”) upon “hearing” those words ("the word of God")…

and ("by faith, not by sight") because he could not see these things (“things not seen as yet”) of which God was warning him.

He had faith that what God was telling him was true… he “believed” God and he “obeyed” God.

God TOLD Noah and his family WHAT THEY HAD TO DO TO BE SAVED, just like God tells us in the Scriptures that there is something we must do to be saved. Had Noah not built the ark, would he and his family have been saved? Obviously not! If we do not OBEY what God has commanded us to do, will we be saved? The answer is obvious!

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In Christ,
brother Sonnie

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'