"For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of

    God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

    Epheshians 2:8-9

I must accept a Holy God's evaluation of me.

When Isaiah saw God, he cried out…"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts." (Isaiah 6:3) And though our tendency is to view ourselves or others from a relative standard, God's evaluation of us stems from His holy character and will so that He declares …

"For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin." (Ecc.7:20)

Furthermore, it appeals to the pride of man to think that there is some good in him that could make himself acceptable to God. But again the Bible says…

"But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6)

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." (Romans 3:10)

This of course, is the bad news.

I must see what God has provided for me through Christ's death and

resurrection.

The good news of the Gospel of grace centers in what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross of Calvary.

Though God's justice demanded the punishment of death or separation, Jesus Christ died in our place, taking the penalty or punishment we justly deserved.

"For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6)

"All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6)

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:9)

"But this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God." (Hebrews 10:12)

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

"In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:9-10)

I must believe eternal salvation and life is a gift to me apart from religious works.

Since Christ fully paid for our sins when He died, what sins remain to be atoned for by our good works? None! Salvation is not a reward for good people, it is the gift of God for sinners who trust in Jesus Christ alone.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Think for a moment, if you could go to heaven by living a moral life, trying to keep the Ten Commandments, being baptized, going to church, etc., why would Jesus Christ have had to die for you and your sins? It would have been for nothing!

"I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Galatians 2:21)

Good works are to be the result of salvation, they are never the means to be saved.

I must rest by faith in God's promise and assurance to me.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12)

You need not wonder any longer regarding your eternal destiny. Read God's promise to the one who transfers their faith from their works to Christ's finished work for them.

"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:11-13)

Do you know for sure where you will spend eternity? If you don't know, youdon't go.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." (John 5:24)

Godnis offering to you the free gift of eternal life on the basis of His amazing grace. Jesus Christ, God the Son, has paid for this wonderful gift by the supreme sacrifice - He gave His life by shedding His blood to save you.

However, God's available salvation is of no personal value to you until you receive it through trusting in Christ alone. While you may have seen before that faith in Christ was necessary for salvation, do you see how that FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE is enough? Jesus Christ's last words on the cross were… "IT IS FINISHED” [PAID IN FULL] (John 19:30).

"So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." (Acts 16:31)

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:17-18)

"Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26)