{"id":3162,"date":"2025-04-24T16:29:08","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T23:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/answeringtoday.com\/staging\/4887\/?p=3162"},"modified":"2025-04-24T16:49:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T23:49:31","slug":"what-does-it-mean-that-we-are-saved-by-grace-through-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/answeringtoday.com\/staging\/4887\/what-does-it-mean-that-we-are-saved-by-grace-through-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does it Mean That we Are Saved by Grace Through Faith?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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QUESTION:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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ANSWER:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/strong><\/p>\n

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To be saved by grace through faith means receiving the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life\u2014not by earning it through good works, but by trusting completely in the redemptive work that Jesus has done.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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

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\u201cLord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.\u201d<\/strong><\/em> \u2014<\/strong> Luke 23:42<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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\u201341<\/em>) and asked Jesus to save him. And voil\u00e0!<\/em> He was saved\u2014right there, right then! I look forward to meeting him in heaven and asking him firsthand about that moment.<\/p>\n

But sadly, what God made so simple, many have complicated.<\/p>\n

The apostle Paul expressed the same concern when he wrote:<\/p>\n

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\u201cBut 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.\u201d<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 2 Corinthians 11:3<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Gospel is simple. But over time, it has been tampered with\u2014burdened by human opinions, clouded by theological systems, and even used as a point of argument and division within the Church.<\/p>\n

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\u20139<\/strong>, which says:<\/p>\n

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\u201cFor 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.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1. Sin is Man\u2019s Greatest Menace<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When Adam rejected God’s authority and chose to disobey His command, sin entered the world.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTherefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.\u201d<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Romans 5:12<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That one act of rebellion unleashed a flood of corruption\u2014death, 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.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFor all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.\u201d<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Romans 3:23<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

(See also: “Am I a Sinner?”<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n

Sin is not just the wrong things we do\u2014it 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\u2019s greatest menace. It corrupts everything, kills everything, and separates us from the One who is life Himself.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2. Man\u2019s Inability to Take Away His Sin<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Let\u2019s now address a critical question: What can man do to get rid of his sin?<\/em><\/p>\n

The sad truth? Nothing.<\/strong> Absolutely nothing we do can take away our sin. Let\u2019s break down some common efforts people rely on for salvation\u2014and see what they can really accomplish:<\/p>\n

a. Doing Good Works<\/strong>
While God certainly desires for us to do good works, no amount of them can erase sin. Doing good after doing evil doesn\u2019t cancel the evil. Even under the Old Testament law, there was no provision that said \u201cgood deeds erase sins.\u201d<\/p>\n

b. Tithing<\/strong>
Tithing is an act of obedience and gratitude, but it has zero<\/em> power to cleanse sin. You may give 10% or 90%\u2014but sin still stains your soul unless it\u2019s washed away by the blood of Jesus.<\/p>\n

c. Religious Observances<\/strong>
Attending mass, celebrating holidays, participating in rituals\u2014these can all be sincere expressions of faith, but they do nothing<\/em> to remove sin.<\/p>\n

d. Baptism<\/strong>
Baptism is a public declaration of one\u2019s faith, not a magical act that removes sin. Many go into the water dry sinners and come out wet sinners\u2014because the heart was never changed. But even you get baptized in the Jordan river, that won’t extinguish your sins away.<\/p>\n

e. Becoming a Member of a Church<\/strong>
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?<\/p>\n

f. Being Active in Church<\/strong>
You can sing, preach, usher, or volunteer\u2014yet still carry the weight of unconfessed and unforgiven sin.<\/p>\n

g. Confessing to a Religious Leader<\/strong>
No human priest can forgive sins. Only God has the authority to do that. (See Mark 2:7<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

h. Doing Charity or Giving to the Poor<\/strong>
Admirable? Yes. Necessary? Yes. But does it cleanse the heart from sin? No.<\/p>\n

i. Suffering for Your Sins<\/strong>
Even if you choose to suffer or punish yourself, your pain cannot pay the price for sin. The debt is spiritual and eternal\u2014your suffering is not enough.<\/p>\n

j. Offering Your Own Blood<\/strong>
Even if you offered your own blood\u2014or died on a literal cross\u2014it would never be sufficient to atone for your sin. Why? Because your blood is sinful. Only a sinless<\/strong> substitute can pay the price.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNot of works, lest anyone should boast.\u201d<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Ephesians 2:9<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Do you realize it now? Salvation is not something you do<\/strong>. It is something you receive<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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3. Jesus is the Only Savior<\/strong><\/h4>\n

John the Baptist declared it with clarity and boldness:<\/p>\n

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\u201cBehold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!\u201d<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 John 1:29<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Jesus came to do what no man could do\u2014to take away sin once and for all<\/strong>. What man could never accomplish through effort, religion, or sacrifice, Jesus accomplished through His perfect life and His death at the cross.<\/p>\n

(See also: “Why Did Jesus Have to Die at the Cross?”<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n

At the cross:<\/p>\n