Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
Today’s verse leaves no room for doubt. If we receive salvation by grace then there is no way it can be earned by works. And conversely, if by works, then grace would not be grace. It can’t be both ways and there is no gray area whatsoever. It is one or the other.
Grace is a free gift. It is something God has given us because of His great love. But He is also a just God and nothing unholy can be before His presence, which would disqualify every one of us from heaven. To satisfy that requirement Jesus died on the cross, because without the shedding of blood there is no atonement (Hebrews 9:22). And by His grace we have been redeemed, the penalty paid, the atonement made and fully satisfied.
If our salvation was something we had to earn then there would no longer be grace. At that point it becomes nullified and ceases to be grace – a free gift. It becomes a reward instead, one earned by satisfying a requirement. But Jesus satisfied that requirement for us and we don’t have to do anything to earn it. We could never meet the requirements ourselves. The Law showed us that we can’t do it on our own, and Jesus is the only way.
In the early church this was a hotly debated topic, which is why we have so many verses that tell us without a doubt that there is only one way to the Father and that’s through Jesus Christ. Luckily for us we have all of those verses neatly wrapped up in the Bible and can seek out answers when we have questions like this.
Thank God that we didn’t have to do it on our own. Thank Him today for being the Way, the Truth, and the Light, the One who paves the way for us and guides our steps. Without Him and His wonderful gift of grace we would truly be lost. But thank God He loves us and made a way for us to be redeemed, through Jesus.
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