“Salvation by Grace, Not Works "John 6:28:29 - Copy

Are you struggling daily with thoughts of heaven and hell? Do you wonder if you will make it to heaven, or what you have to do to inherit eternal life? These are the questions most Christian's struggle with. When I was a new believer, I struggled with these thoughts, and I sought out answers. I thought if I obeyed the Ten Commandments, I would enter the kingdom of heaven. If I became a good person and did good works, surely I would not miss the kingdom of heaven. I worked so hard to keep the Ten Commandments and I tried to be a good person, but I failed. I wasn’t even able to keep one commandment.

 I tried to be a good person by doing good works, but the good I intended to do, I found myself not doing. Instead, I did evil. Was something wrong with me? Fear overwhelmed me and I was afraid I would not go to heaven. No matter how hard I tried, I failed.Finally, I attended a seminar in our local church and I heard the message of grace. It was my first time to hear someone telling me I am a sinner who has fallen short of the glory of God and that I cannot save myself from sin—only Jesus Christ can. The words pierced my heart, the Holy Spirit convicted me, and I realized how sinful I was and how much I needed a Savior. I didn’t need to be accepted by God for the good works I do. Salvation is not earned by good merits or by observing the law, but salvation is given to us through grace (unmerited favor—it is not earned, and we do not deserve it) by faith, which is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8–9). 

Salvation is found in Christ alone.In John 6:28 the Jews asked Him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” They came with the mentality that salvation is earned by good works and by observing the law. Many teachers of the law and the Pharisees thought they could earn salvation by keeping the law and the Ten Commandments. Even the rich young man came to Jesus believing he could inherit eternal life by observing the commandments. But Jesus corrected their mentality. He told them the work of God is to believe in the One He has sent.Salvation is not earned by good works, but salvation is through grace by faith alone and in Christ alone. He performed the sign of the bread so that they could see He was the One sent by God to save them. He was their Messiah, the One they had been expecting, the One Moses had promised God would send. Jesus tried to tell them that He was the Bread of Life. By believing in Him, they would receive eternal life, but they failed to believe in Him. It was hard for them to understand. 

He repeated five times that no one can come to Jesus unless God has enabled him.This is true about salvation. We could not come to God by ourselves. Romans 3:10–11 says, “No one is righteous, no not one; no one seeks God.” We were all spiritually dead and separated from God (Ephesians 2:1–3). But verse 4 tells us God is the one who saved us. You have not chosen to believe in God—God is the one who has chosen you. No good work can save you. You cannot even obey the Ten Commandments. Even if nine were taken away and you were left with one, it would still be impossible. We are sinners by nature.But when we give our lives to Christ, He will transform us daily. Salvation happens once, but sanctification is a process of God transforming our minds and hearts daily. Rely and depend on Jesus alone. 

You don’t have to wrestle with the thought, “Am I going to be saved or not?” Jesus said in John 6:37 that He will hold you, sustain you, and He will never let you go. Even when you drift away from Him, He will come and get you. Just have faith in Him. Have a relationship with Him and seek Him—not because you want something from Him, but because without Him you cannot bear any fruit. No one can go to heaven except through Him (John 14:6). I hope you stay in Christ, for He has promised us that He will give us spiritual food to sustain us

Conclusion

My brothers and sisters, salvation is not something we can earn through our own strength, good works, or by keeping the law. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Jesus is the Bread of Life—only by believing in Him can we inherit eternal life. Let us stop striving in our own effort and rest in the finished work of Christ on the cross. He promised that whoever comes to Him, He will never cast away. Hold on to Him, trust Him daily, and allow Him to transform your heart and mind.

Closing Prayer

Let us pray:Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your amazing grace and for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. We confess that on our own we fall short and cannot save ourselves, but through Christ, we are forgiven and made new. Lord, help us to trust in You fully, to walk by faith, and to rely on Your Spirit to transform us daily. Strengthen us when we are weak, remind us that we are held in Your hands, and never let us drift away from Your love. May we remain rooted in Christ, the Bread of Life, and share this good news with others. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen.