Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
“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.”
There isn’t a hint of godliness in any of us. The only reason we have been forgiven is the majestic and undeserved grace of God. He chose us for no other reason than His kindness. The faith that we exercise towards God, is not our own- it is given to us. We are spiritually dead until God resurrects us, gives us the ability to believe, and brings us into His family. I have nothing of any value- I have not even got the desire for my God- only He has desired me and lifted me to glory…

Without the grace of God, there is no salvation for anyone. We are dead in our sins, with no hope of life towards God, and only a dreadful day of judgment and eternal death ahead. In no way can we lift ourselves out of our predicament. As a dead body cannot breathe the air, so we cannot live to God, understand Him or pray to Him. We are helpless and hopeless.

But God has given us an amazing gift. The gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our one and only Saviour. We are saved through what Jesus did on the cross and God gives us the gift of faith to believe and be saved. We are saved through the work of faith in our inner selves. Faith cannot be worked up in ourselves- since we are spiritually dead in our natural state. We need God’s work of grace and mercy to resurrect our souls, do that we can exercise the gift of faith and believe.

A spiritually dead person cannot make choices of any kind, let alone choose God, or do any deeds that would be acceptable to God. All we are and all we do is fatally tainted. God is holy, and cannot abide sin or the sinner. Something fundamental has to change in the sinner to make them right with God. To be acceptable to the Holy One.

God changes the sinner and imputed new life and righteousness into them, resurrects them from the dead, and makes a new person in Christ. The sins are paid for and forgiven completely, and the sinner becomes a saint. A saint is a forgiven person, made new by God, with no reason to boast in themselves.

As we live as saints, we live unto Him, and in His strength alone. The Holy Spirit works in the life of the saint to produce good work created by God for them to do.

Therefore, salvation is of the Lord…