The Work of God’s Grace-Salvation

Topic: The Work of God’s Grace-Salvation

Scripture text: Ephesians 2:8-10

Introduction

If a man wants to be saved, these verses tell him how to be saved. Salvation is the work of God, of God’s Grace and of God’s grace alone. It is not of man, not to any degree. Salvation is a free gift of God. It is by grace alone that man is saved. Man can do nothing whatsoever to save himself. He cannot earn, win, or merit salvation. All man can do is accept what the Lord says. Man must believe just what God says and accept His word, accept His free offer of salvation. When he accepts the fact that God says He will save him, God takes him and creates him into a new person, anew creation. (2 Cor 5:17).

A. We are saved by God grace and by Grace

(1)We are saved by God’s grace

Grace means the favor and kindness of God, but there I uniqueness about God’s favor and kindness. His favor and kindness are given despite the fact that it is undeserved and unmerited. Grace is giving, but it is giving to people who do not deserve the gift. What is the gift that God has given? Jesus Christ. God has given His son, Jesus Christ, to save men. God is full of mercy and love and kindness-by His very nature He is full of these glorious qualities. God is not off someplace in the distance, far removes from man, disinterested and unconcerned with man’s sufferings and death. God is gracious, full of mercy, love, and kindness for man; therefore, He has reached out through His son Jesus Christ to help man. How?

By giving His Son to die for man. When Jesus Christ hung upon the cross, He was taking our sins upon Himself and bearing the punishment for our sins. We had committed high treason against God: rejected and rebelled against Him. The penalty for high treason is death; we are condemned to die. But Christ took our penalty and condemnation upon Himself. He died for us-in our place, in our stead, as our substitute. This is what Scripture means when it says that Christ died for us. (Rom 5:6, 8, 10)

This is the grace of God-God grace that showered itself upon sinful men who were lost and condemned-God grace that gave the greatest gift possible to men- the gift of His Son to save the world.

(2)We are saved through faith

What does it mean to be saved through faith? Simply this: Jesus Christ die for us. He bore our sin and punishment upon the cross. When we believe, really believe that Jesus Christ died for us, God does a wonderful thing. God takes our faith and counts it as the death of Jesus Christ for us. That is when we honor God’s dear Son by believing in Him so much that we give all we are and have to Him, God takes the death of Jesus Christ and applies it to us. It is our faith that causes God to look upon us as having been in Christ when He died. It is our faith that causes God credit us with salvation. Jesus Christ is God’s gift to us. Salvation through Christ has been wrapped up as a gift and God hands it over to us. This is what is meant by faith. If you believe, really believe that Jesus Christ died for you; you will reach out and receive the gift of God’s grace. (John 3:16, 5:24, 20:31)

(3) We are not saved in and of ourselves

Man is not perfect; therefore, he can never live in God’s presence-not in and of himself. Even if man could be good enough and do enough good to become perfect (he cannot, but even if he could) he would not be acceptable to God. Why? Because he has already transgressed and become imperfect. He already stands imperfect, corruptible, aging, dying, and decaying. If man is ever to be acceptable to God-if he is ever to be perfected and have his past wipe clean-it will not be by his own hands. He cannot save himself. Salvation is not of man. ( 2 Cor. 10:12, Gal 6:3, Titus 3:5, Prov 28:26 )

(4) The reason salvation is by grace and not by works is to prevent men from ever boasting

God is the supreme and Majestic being of the universe. He is the Creator of all that is in heaven and earth. God is the one who dwells in the ultimate of light and holu of eternity. The honor and glory and glory due His name are not to be shared with anyone. If man was saved by some effort of his own, he would be due some credit, some boast, some honor. This God cannot allow. His very nature forbids it. As God, He is to receive the supreme glory-that is, all glory and praise. His Supremacy-His being God-demands it. (Rom 3:19,27)

B. We are God’s workmanship

(1) We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus

The believer experiences two creations, both a natural birth and a spiritual birth. The spiritual birth is the point of this verse. When a man believes in Jesus Christ, God creates him in Christ. What does this mean? It means that God quickens the spirit of the believer and makes his spirit alive. Whereas the believer’s spirit was dead to God, God creates it anew and makes it alive to God.

(2) We are created to do good works

God saves man for good works not by good works. The believer is God’s workmanship, God’s work of art, God’s masterpiece. God fashions man and creates a masterpiece. God’s workmanship is always a work of art. The believer does not create the beauty, the art that shows in the canvas of his life. The believer just shows that he is God’s workmanship by life he lives and displays. Works are an evidence of salvation. God has prepared in advance for us to walk in good works. Doing good works is not an option for the believer; it is the very nature of the believer. If a man has been created in Christ-if God has truly worked in him-the man does good works. He is a new creation created to do good works.

Conclusion

Man can do nothing whatsoever to save himself. Salvation is a free gift of God. God has given His son, Jesus Christ, to save men. When Jesus Christ hung up upon the cross, He was taking our sins upon Himself and bearing the punishment for our sins. He died for us in our place. When we believe, really believe that Jesus Christ died for us, God does a wonderful thing. It is by grace along that man is saved. We are saved by His grace and by faith not by works.