Galatians 2:16- 16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
I have been listening to Dave Hunt lately and he often mentions that good works outweighing the bad ones doesn’t work. You can’t kill one person today and save two more tomorrow and be ahead of the curve. Think about that. Just trying to weigh the balance of one’s life and hope that it tips in the right direction.
It makes no sense at all. Not to mention who is going to make that measuring determination?
We are not saved by our works or anything that we can do. The only way we are saved is by what He has done.
Ephesians 2:8-9- 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
This is a real easy formula. We are all sinners. Therefore we don’t have to debate on rather someone is qualified in needing their sins forgiven.
Romans 3:23-24 – 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
On the flip side, people take it too far. Many treat their salvation like a get out of jail free card. Faith without works is dead.
James 2:26 – 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
James 2:17 – 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Also there is the follow up to Ephesians above in verse 10.
Ephesians 2:10 –10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We’re not saved by the work we do for the Lord. That is the free gift and only attainable by accepting His grace and forgiveness by making Him Lord. However, we if we love our Lord, we need to work for our King. We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works.