Salvation is a gift

[afterdeathwhat]

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Notice what the bible says Not by works of righteousness which WE have done. Did you know that despite what others may say, teach, or believe it is impossible to earn your way to heaven. Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Notice again that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. That means every good thing we have ever done to earn salvation is worthless. Have you ever tried to clean something like a mirror or a window with a dirty rag? What happens? You just smear the dirt around or get the dirt from the rag on what you are trying to clean. It just does not work.

Romans 3:10 For there is none righteous no not one. Rom 3:23 For all have sinned  and come short of the glory of God. People are like that mirror or window that need cleaning. We know that we need to be clean but we grab that dirty rag of our own righteousnesses to clean it. No amount of good works will cover the vast amount of sins we have committed. Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Compare that with Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What does the bible say eternal life is? A gift.

Let's pretend for a minute that I have a Bible and it represents eternal life. I say you can have it if you wash my car. Is it a gift? You can have it if you give me ten bucks. Is it a gift? Now lets put it in a spiritual perspective. You can it if you get baptized. Is it a gift? You can have it if you get confirmed, join my church, donate money to my church. Is it a gift? Of course not. If you have to do any type of work it is not a gift. Now by looking at the gift you may be able to describe it. You may be able to tell me alittle about it but just because you may know some facts about the gift doesn't mean you have the gift. What is the only way to get a gift? You must receive it. John 1:12 But as many as received him (Christ) to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on  his name.

Some may say But I have kept the 10 commandments Really ? Let's just look at few of them

Exd 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth: Exd 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them:  Besides the command not to make any graven images or bow down to them many people make gods or graven images out of things like money, work, material things. If you have every put anything in front of God you have broken this one.

Exd 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness  Ever told a lie even what some would consider a white lie?

Exd 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. Have you ever done that. Most would say do But Jesus said in Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:  Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. If have have looked at anyone with lust that was not your spouse you have broken this commandment

Exd 20:15 Thou shalt not steal. Have you ever taken something that did not belong to you? A penny A paper clip if so you have broken that one. As you can see non of us can say that we have kept the 10 commandments Jam 2:10 says For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all.  So if we have broken just one of the commandments just once we are guilty of all.

Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin. Gal 3:24 says the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ

God gave us the 10 commandments to show how how much we fall short to show us why we need a Saviour. They are like a mirror that shows us our sinful condition. When you look at the mirror and see dirt on your face you don't take off the mirror to wash your face that would be silly. The mirror just revealed the dirt. Again the 10 commandments just show us the dirt so to think that we could take them to cleanse us of sin is incorrect.

Lets just say for a moment that God did measure our good deeds against our bad. We would all be doomed. God who know every thought we have committed and every secret thing we have done. We could never do enough good to tip the scale. So praise God he provided a way for us to be saved.

To review You can't earn salvation.
Salvation is a gift.
Knowing facts about a gift doesn't mean you have it.
The only way to get a gift is to receive it.

I beg you if you have never received Christ and trusted him 100% do it today. Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.