Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 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.
This passage of scripture is one of the most profound ever written, and it highlights both the wisdom and kindness of God through the simple system He has created for all members of the human family to be saved eternally, if we so choose. It is the love of God which forms the basis of all of His actions and purposes, and which moved Him to make salvation as easily accessible to all, as is possible. Let's just think about it for a moment, that for us to receive the most desired gift of immortality, all we have to do is to believe. Now, this is as simple and easy as it gets, for we are not required to do any penance, or go on any long pilgrimages, walking with bare feet, nor do we have to purchase it for an exorbitant price, all we are required to do is to believe with all of our hearts, and God does the rest.
In many of the great religions of the world, good works form an integral part of any guarantee of eternal life, and some of the requirements can be pretty harsh. For instance, in some religions, a person is required to chant a specified number of prayers in order for certain sins or offenses to be pardoned, while other more grievous violations require that a person be punished or even beaten in order to be absolved. Then again there is the doctrine of purgatory, in which it is specified that a person needs additional cleansing and purification after death, in order to be admitted to the presence of God, a process that can apparently take many years with some individuals.
It seems as if we have made very difficult, what God has made very simple and easy, and as a result of the various distortions and modifications we have added, the possibilities of being saved seem more and more remote to many people. When the Bible states clearly that we are saved by God's grace through faith, and not because of good works, we should take God at His word, believing with all our hearts that He will deliver on His promises. However, we should also have a clear understanding of what the apostle Paul is stating in the above passage. He is not saying that good works are not a part of the fabric of Christianity, what he is saying is that works in and of themselves are not meritorious, nor are they a required payment for the gift of salvation.
When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, a process of renewal and restoration is set in motion by the power of The Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and as we cooperate with Him from day to day, by seeking God through prayer and a study of His word, a gradual and protracted change takes place in us, and is revealed effortlessly to those we come in contact with. A mango tree does not have to force itself to grow and produce any fruit. All it does is to appropriate the nutrients, sunshine, and rain that is provided in abundance by God each day, and gradually it develops in stages, from a humble plant to a tree with branches, and then to the stage of blossoming and producing delicious fruit.
The same thing takes place with a Christian who has accepted the free gift of God's grace, in that the efforts made are not to work ourselves into God's kingdom of glory, but rather to avail ourselves of the spiritual nutriments given in abundance through the written and the Living Word. This is what Christ was referring to when He bade us abide in Him, for as we stay the course with Christ from day to day, an imperceptible change comes over us, and we resemble Him more and more in character, in disposition, in attitudes and in behaviors, all without the use of penance and good works that do not come from a willing and sincere heart. Let's read:
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
In our own experiences, let us then take with us the assurance of salvation, as it is given in the Bible, for the promises of God through Christ are sure, and there is no need for us to worry ourselves out of the hands of Christ, by trying to work ourselves into His eternal kingdom. Let good, charitable works spring forth from a sincere heart naturally, and when the Holy Ghost moves upon us, may we be willing to do His bidding in every situation, and thus the good work of salvation that God has begun in our hearts will continue without interruption until Christ comes to claim His own. We therefore end with a passage of scripture that confirms this very point, and let's always remember that it is God's grace that has brought us this far in our journey, and His grace will see us through to the end. Let's read:
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!