What Does it Mean That we Are Saved by Grace Through Faith?

QUESTION:

ANSWER:

To be saved by grace through faith means receiving the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life—not by earning it through good works, but by trusting completely in the redemptive work that Jesus has done.

Salvation is the most important gift that you will ever receive in this life (See: “How Can I Be Saved?”). And receiving it is as simple as what the criminal hanging beside the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross of Calvary did. He said,

“Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” — Luke 23:42

There at the cross, he recognized that he was a sinner. He acknowledged that Jesus is the Messiah. He made a decision to return to God (Luke 23:40–41) and asked Jesus to save him. And voilà! He was saved—right there, right then! I look forward to meeting him in heaven and asking him firsthand about that moment.

But sadly, what God made so simple, many have complicated.

The apostle Paul expressed the same concern when he wrote:

“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 11:3

The Gospel is simple. But over time, it has been tampered with—burdened by human opinions, clouded by theological systems, and even used as a point of argument and division within the Church.

In this article, we will go back to the basics. We will explore what it truly means to be saved in light of Ephesians 2:8–9, which says:

“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.”

1. Sin is Man’s Greatest Menace

When Adam rejected God’s authority and chose to disobey His command, sin entered the world.

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” — Romans 5:12

That one act of rebellion unleashed a flood of corruption—death, separation from God, and every form of human suffering. From that moment, mankind was no longer in the state of original blessing, but under judgment. As a result, we all fell short of the glory of God.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23

(See also: “Am I a Sinner?”)

Sin is not just the wrong things we do—it is a condition of the heart, a nature that we were born with. And this nature cannot enter the kingdom of God. This is why sin is man’s greatest menace. It corrupts everything, kills everything, and separates us from the One who is life Himself.

2. Man’s Inability to Take Away His Sin

Let’s now address a critical question: What can man do to get rid of his sin?

The sad truth? Nothing. Absolutely nothing we do can take away our sin. Let’s break down some common efforts people rely on for salvation—and see what they can really accomplish:

a. Doing Good Works
While God certainly desires for us to do good works, no amount of them can erase sin. Doing good after doing evil doesn’t cancel the evil. Even under the Old Testament law, there was no provision that said “good deeds erase sins.”

b. Tithing
Tithing is an act of obedience and gratitude, but it has zero power to cleanse sin. You may give 10% or 90%—but sin still stains your soul unless it’s washed away by the blood of Jesus.

c. Religious Observances
Attending mass, celebrating holidays, participating in rituals—these can all be sincere expressions of faith, but they do nothing to remove sin.

d. Baptism
Baptism is a public declaration of one’s faith, not a magical act that removes sin. Many go into the water dry sinners and come out wet sinners—because the heart was never changed. But even you get baptized in the Jordan river, that won’t extinguish your sins away.

e. Becoming a Member of a Church
You can be listed on the membership roll of the largest church in the world and still not be listed in the Book of Life because membership has nothing to do with your sins. Can you cite any verse that says when you become a member of this church, your sins will be forgiven?

f. Being Active in Church
You can sing, preach, usher, or volunteer—yet still carry the weight of unconfessed and unforgiven sin.

g. Confessing to a Religious Leader
No human priest can forgive sins. Only God has the authority to do that. (See Mark 2:7)

h. Doing Charity or Giving to the Poor
Admirable? Yes. Necessary? Yes. But does it cleanse the heart from sin? No.

i. Suffering for Your Sins
Even if you choose to suffer or punish yourself, your pain cannot pay the price for sin. The debt is spiritual and eternal—your suffering is not enough.

j. Offering Your Own Blood
Even if you offered your own blood—or died on a literal cross—it would never be sufficient to atone for your sin. Why? Because your blood is sinful. Only a sinless substitute can pay the price.

“Not of works, lest anyone should boast.” — Ephesians 2:9

Do you realize it now? Salvation is not something you do. It is something you receive.

3. Jesus is the Only Savior

John the Baptist declared it with clarity and boldness:

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” — John 1:29

Jesus came to do what no man could do—to take away sin once and for all. What man could never accomplish through effort, religion, or sacrifice, Jesus accomplished through His perfect life and His death at the cross.

At the cross:

Jesus satisfied the judgment of God by taking the full penalty of sin.
Jesus fulfilled the righteous demands of the law—He kept it perfectly.
Jesus opened the floodgates of grace, offering eternal life to all who would receive it.

Grace means getting what we don’t deserve—eternal life. And this is only made possible because of what the Lord Jesus Christ did at Calvary.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” — Ephesians 1:7

But listen carefully: While the forgiveness of sins was made available at Calvary, it only becomes effective for those who repent and believe in Jesus.

4. Salvation is by Grace Through Faith

We’ve made it clear: salvation is not by works, but by grace—a gift that God freely offers. But how does one receive this gift?

The answer: Through faith.

The Greek word translated faith in Ephesians 2:8 is πίστις (pistis), which means trust, confidence, conviction, and surrender. It’s not simply acknowledging that God exists—it’s total reliance on the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, over and above every action or good work we could ever offer.

“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

Let that sink in: your only part in the whole plan of salvation is to repent and believe in Jesus Christ—no more, no less.

It’s not about rituals.
It’s not about rules.
It’s not about religion.

It’s about faith—as simple and sincere as the criminal on the cross who said:

“Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” — Luke 23:42

No strings attached.
No condemnation.
No complicated procedures.

Just faith.

And at that moment, Jesus responded:

“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” — Luke 23:43

That is the Gospel. That is grace. That is faith.

Final Thought

Salvation has never been about what we do.
It’s not about what we become,
not about how we perform in church,
not about how often we pray,
how generous we are,
how many Bible verses we memorize,
or how religious we appear.

Salvation is about Jesus!

It’s about the Lamb of God, who willingly took our place, bore our punishment, and died on the cross to take away the sins of the world.

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” — John 1:29

Because of His sacrifice, we now have access to something we could never earn—God’s grace. And through this grace, we can be completely forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life.

But listen: this promise isn’t automatic.

It only becomes true for those who repent and believe in Jesus, through faith—faith that fully relies on His finished work, not ours.

So stop striving. Stop trying to earn what was already bought with blood. Stop complicating what God made simple.

Come like the thief on the cross and say with a sincere heart: “Lord, remember me.”

And just like that—you’ll find yourself embraced by the grace of God.

Brothers and Sisters, salvation is not about any outward manifestations of faith that can be faked—salvation is a matter of the faith in your heart that only God can truly see!

QUESTION: