SAVED BY GRACE TO LIVE RIGHT

“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.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV)

• We are not saved by our works of righteousness. No one is justified by works (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8,9)

However, our salvation should produce works of righteousness. We are saved, born again, to live RIGHT; we are not living right to be saved.
God accepted us on the basis of Jesus' righteousness. If you believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and resurrected for your justification and confess it with your mouth—then you are saved, born-again, accepted by God as His son or daughter (Romans 4:25; 10:9,10).

• Remarkable Contrast: The supremacy of Christianity to other religions

In other religions, it is taught that one has to live right before one could be accepted by God, that God could only accept you by the multitude of your good deeds.
In Islam and some other religions: Islam teaches that one needs to do ablutions before one prays to God, and you pray five times in a day.
You also need to give alms (zakat), you give one fifth of your income to the poor—the needy.
You observe thirty day fasting at a particular month of the year.
You go on pilgrimage to a particular holy land, at least once in your lifetime, even by proxy.
The religion also teaches that, if you observed all the above principles, you are not even certain whether you will be accepted by God on the last day—Day of judgement.
They believe God will weigh your good deeds and bad deeds on the last day, and if your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds, then you will be accepted by God to enter heaven. However, if your bad deeds outweigh your good deeds, you end up in the lake of fire.
In other words, it is your good work that will grant you an entry clearance to the heavenly Kingdom, thus they believe you have to work hard to live right, that you may gain heaven after your journey on the earth.

• Now Christianity teaches in sharp contrast to that:

Christianity teaches that all men (human beings generally) have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
That no amount of your good deeds can make God accept you (Isaiah 64:6; Philippians 3:9).
That every human was born a sinner, we were conceived and born in sin (Psalm 51:5).
We inherited sin of Adam; thus, we are sinners by birth—we have the nature of sin (Romans 5:12; 7:15-20).
That our righteousness is like a filthy rag in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).
Thus, we needed a Saviour since God could not accept us on the basis of our righteousness.
There is nothing we could do to pay for our sins, annul our sins; we have to die—we were condemned (Romans 3:9-19; 6:23).
God in His goodness and forbearance arranged a Saviour in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, a sinless Son of God, to come in human form and pay for the penalty of our sins (Isaiah 53:7-10; Romans 3:25).
He came to die for our sins that we may be forgiven and justified (2 Corinthians 5:21).
He came, died because of our sins, and resurrected that we may be justified (Romans 4:25).
As many who believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins and resurrected for their justification, atonement; shall be saved—accepted by God (Romans 4:25; 10;9,10).

• No other way to God except through the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5,6).

"Jesus said to him, "I AM the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. No one comes to the FATHER except through ME."
John 14:6 (NKJV)

However, after you have accepted Him, JESUS, as your Saviour and the Lord of your life; you have a responsibility to live right (Romans 6:11-13; Ephesians 2:10).
You cannot continue in sin and say grace of God should abound (Romans 6:1).

• Some people claim to be Christian, born again, yet they live in blatant sins, very obvious sins, without penitent (1 Corinthians 5:11).

How can someone who claim to be born again, living in sin of adultery, fornication; yet no remorse (1 Corinthians 5:1).
A born again Christian who is living in sin, has effrontery, boldness, to teach a Sunday School Class, lead songs in the church on Sunday.
Many live in sins without any remorse, and they are still working in their local churches (Isaiah 52:11; 2 Timothy 2:19).
If your salvation is genuine and you are walking in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, if you committed a sin, you supposed to lose your peace.
If you claim to be born again, you live in sin and you do not lose your peace, you still go about with your normal life, that means something is wrong—probably your relationship, fellowship, with God is not intact (Romans 2:2-4).
If you are genuine, any act of sin will affect your fellowship with God negatively.
If you live in sin and your relationship or fellowship with God is not affected negatively, that means your salvation is questionable!

• You need to change before the period of grace given you by God elapses.

God is God of Justice, He is plenteous in mercy, however, He Judges SIN also. He does not condone sin (Romans 2:4,5).
If your relationship with God is not intact again, you need to repent and rededicate your life, and go back to your first love.

“Nevertheless I have this AGAINST you, that you have LEFT your FIRST LOVE.
REMEMBER therefore from where you have FALLEN; REPENT and DO the FIRST WORKS, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”
Revelation 2:4,5 (NKJV)

• Take a step now!

If you are yet to be born again: repent of your sins, believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and resurrected for your justification, that is, to be made right with God—then confess it with your mouth.
If you took the above step, it means you are born again, your name is written in the Book of Life (Romans 10:9,10; Revelation 21:27).

• You will not regret at the end of your journey on earth in Jesus' name.
Peace!