“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

 

How does a person get saved?  What is it that brings him salvation from his sins and takes him to heaven?  These are the questions that are answered in these verses.

 

1.  We are saved by the grace of God alone.

 

This is the first answer we are given in these verses: “For it is by grace you have been saved.”  What does this mean?  What does the Bible mean when it talks about the grace of God?

 

It means that salvation is a free gift that God offers to those who are in sin against Him and deserve His eternal judgement.  It means that although we are rebellious sinners against God and His word, God does not cast us away into hell for eternity, but instead offers to us the blessings of salvation.  It means that although we are full of sin and full of guilt, God does not drive us away from His holy presence, but instead invites us to come to Him so that we can have the forgiveness of sin.  It means that although we are covered in sin and unclean in His sight, He does not turn away from us, but instead invites us to come to Him so that He might cleanse us in the blood of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.  It means that although we are enemies of God and hate Him and His word, He does not hate us, but in love calls us to Himself so that He can change our hearts and make us His beloved children.

 

This is what grace means.  It means that God offers to bless us and save us eternally despite the fact that we are His enemies and hate Him and His word.  The grace of God is seen most clearly in the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Lord Jesus came to earth not to condemn sinners but to save them (John 3:17).  He came into this world to save sinners despite the fact that we had no desire to receive Him.  He lived among people who constantly opposed Him and rejected Him and finally killed Him.  But this was the work of God’s grace.  The death of the Lord Jesus was planned by His enemies but it was arranged by God Himself.

 

The death of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary is the means by which we are saved.  He died in our place and paid the penalty for our sins.  When He was on the cross, our sins were laid upon Him and He faced the wrath of God that was due upon us and removed it so that we could be forgiven and cleansed and reconciled to God.  This is the depth of God’s grace: He sent His own Son into the world to save His enemies from judgement and hell.

 

2.  We are saved through faith alone.

 

We read in this passage, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”  The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary for sinners.  He died so that we might be forgiven and cleansed and have eternal life in heaven.  But how do we profit from His offer of life?  What is it that we are to do if we want to be saved? 

 

The answer is that we must turn from our sins and turn to Christ.  We must resolve to leave our sins and to come to Christ and trust Him alone for our salvation.  If you continue in your sins then you will die in your sins and you will be in hell for eternity.  But if you turn from your sins, you will live.

 

These verses in the Bible make it clear that if a person trusts in himself and his works then he will never be saved.  It says that a person is saved by faith and “not by works, so that no one can boast.”  Many people think that if they live a good

life and if they are decent, moral, religious people then they will enter heaven when they die.  They think that God will allow them to enter heaven because of their good works.

 

But this is completely false.  We are sinners at heart, how can we produce good works?  Jesus said, “No good tree bears bad fruit, not does a bad tree bear good fruit...the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart” (Luke 6:43-45).  If you are not saved then you have a wicked heart.  You may look very good and moral and decent on the outside, but your heart is a wicked heart and it can produce nothing good.  Your good works will never save you for you have no good works.  Your only hope of salvation is to come to Christ and trust Him alone.  Then and only then will you be saved.

 

Today the Lord Jesus invites you.  He says to you, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  Turn from your sins and come to Christ today and you will be saved.