Welcome to Maple Grove serving the Lord since 1875

WRONG QUESTION! What a doubt-creating question to so many people. How can we know if we are being good enough to “earn” salvation? How can we know if we are being good enough to be declared righteous by God because of our works?

WE CANNOT – But, thanks be to God, that’s not even the right question. It is not our works that save us, nor is it our works that declare us righteous. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and if that wasn’t enough, Romans 3:10 tells us that “there is none righteous, no, not one.”

But it is by God’s Grace that we are saved. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul writes:

“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.”

This is so tough for some people to realize. But it’s so important that I want to go back to basics this month, and make sure everyone has a solid foundation on this. Look at Titus 3:4-7:

“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Read Romans 4:5

“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,”

Let that one sink in! What about Romans 3:28:

“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”

2 Timothy 1:9 teaches us that God “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” Finally, Galatians 2:16 gives us this assurance:

“knowing that a man is not [a]justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

So, it’s not by works we are saved– but by faith in Jesus Christ. God promises through Romans 10:13:
“whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How does one call? God answers that too, in Romans 10:9-10:

“if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Oh, and that doubt-creating question – you’ll never have to ask it again, because Jesus is the “author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2. Put your faith in Jesus and go from doubt to assurance. After all, the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 5:13:

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”

Want to know you have eternal security? Want to know you will spend eternity with God? Then, KNOW Jesus. We’d love to help you along your discipleship journey at Maple Grove. Come join us!

Bro. Parks