One camp believes and teaches that salvation depends in some way upon the works of man. This is the camp of Cain, the first person ever to believe the heresy of salvation by human effort.

The second camp is that of Abel and it believes in salvation completely by the grace of God through the work of Christ.

It doesn't matter whether you are a Baptist or a Roman Catholic, a Methodist or Presbyterian, a Lutheran or "Church of Christ" — you are in one of these camps. Of course, many if not all Religionists openly reject the Baptist position of salvation by grace; consequently, the majority of those who are in Abel's camp are Baptists.

Salvation by grace and salvation by works thus divide the religious world. The Bible, however, only supports one of these positions and I intend to reveal in this article that it certainly does not support salvation by works, but rather salvation by grace.

If we believe the Bible to be God's Word, then what it teaches ought to be accepted. Here is what it has to say about the notion of salvation by works, so generally believed by men —

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." [Titus 3:5]

"So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." [Romans 9:16]

"For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth." [Romans 9:11]

"And if by grace, then is it no more of works:  otherwise grace is no more grace. But if be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." [Romans 11:6]

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." [Galatians 2:16]

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." [Ephesians 2:8-9]

These are by no means all the verses on this subject, but they will certainly reveal to us that God's way of salvation is NOT by works.

[2] The Flesh is Incapable of Good Works!

Isaiah 64:6 shows us how unacceptable our works are when he says —

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."

He is not speaking of our sins here, but our "righteousness," our so-called "good deeds." All of our natural works are tainted by the filth of the flesh and God will not accept them.

Paul says in Romans 7:18 that in the flesh there "dwelleth no good thing."

In Romans 8:7 he says that the fleshly mind is "enmity against God:  for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Only as God's grace saves us and begins to use us can we do works that are good in His eyes.

The weakness of the flesh is further revealed in Galatians 3:3 — "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"

Many people today, like the Galatians, believe that the flesh "holds out to the end," or "lives right," or does something else in making salvation perfect (complete). These people, like the Galatians, are "foolish" for believing such. The flesh is so corrupt that it couldn't do these things, even if God required them.

[3] Christ did ALL that was Necessary!

All that a sinner needs for justification before God is to have God's holy Law satisfied. This means the sinner needs two things: (1) a perfect righteousness; and (2) the remission of sins. Jesus provides both of these.

As for "perfect righteousness," we read —

"Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." [Romans 10:4]

"For He hath made Him (Christ) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." [2 Corinthians 5:21]

"And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." [Philippians 3:9]

As for the remission of sins, Christ's death took care of that —

"He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." [Hebrews 9:26]

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes we are healed." [1 Peter 2:24]

"Christ died for our sins." [1 Corinthians 15:3]

We see, then, Christ has done all that is necessary for our salvation. All we do is enjoy it. "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." [Romans 5:1]

"And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." [Acts 13:39]

If a man tries to climb up any other way, rather than come through Christ, he is "a thief and a robber" [John 10:1]. He is trying to merit his salvation, when Christ has taken that honor completely unto Himself.

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