5 Reasons Why You Cannot Contribute to Your Salvation

The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Not only that, we’re also told in the Bible that salvation is not by anything we have done, anything we do, or can still do.

But what’s sad is that there are many false gospels today that contradict this truth. What’s even more sad is that many people are believing these false gospels, the gospel of works and self righteousness. These people believe that they are required to either work to earn salvation, or work to sustain it. They believe that they have to maintain or complement their salvation. This is something that the Bible does not teach.

The purpose of this study is not to discourage the believers’ efforts to do good works. It is also not to encourage sinful life. This is in fact an encouragement for the Christians to do good works, and to do them for the right reasons. No good work can make you saved or more saved. Good works are the way we respond to the grace of God that is already shed on us abundantly.

In this lessen, I will share with you 5 biblical reasons why your good works, or Christian services cannot add anything to your salvation. In the follow up article, coming up next week, I will discuss some of the reasons why the Christians should be zealous of good works even though works do not add to our salvation.

No good work can make you saved or more saved. Good works are the way we respond to the grace of God that is already shed on us abundantly.

It is practically impossible for you to contribute anything to your salvation. There is nothing you do, be it giving, Church attendance, loving and helping others, and so on, that can make you more saved. I hope that the following biblical truths will convince you:

1. You Were Dead in Your Sins

The state of a person prior to being saved is described in the Bible as “dead”. This is spiritual death.

Ephesians 2:1 ¶ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Just like a physically dead man cannot do anything to revive himself, a spiritually dead man cannot do any good work to redeem himself.  While spiritually dead, the only works that a man/woman can do are the ones listed in the following passages and many others:

Ephesians 2:2-3 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

There could be times when it looks or sounds like someone is doing good things. But the Bible says even “our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” to God.

Isaiah 64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Therefore a man can only do good works after he’s been made alive – that is, saved.

2. Salvation is a Work of Creation

Salvation is a work of creation which only God can do. We are told in the Bible that we are “created in Christ Jesus…”:

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

According to Webster 1828, the word create means to produce; to bring into being from nothing; to cause to exist. This is the very first thing the Bible tells us about God, His creation of the world from nothing (Genesis 1:1). God is the only One who has the power to create something out of nothing. This is totally different from the concept of producing something. Producing is bringing forth something from something else that already exists.

Therefore salvation is the work of creation which only God can do. We do not contribute to that work. And because our new life is what is being created, it all makes sense.

But don’t forget the purpose of this creation. The verse says “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:10). It is true therefore that we are saved to do good works, and not to do good works in order to be saved!

3. Salvation is New Birth

Like creation, we all understand the concept of birth. A baby that is born contributed nothing to his birth. The Bible describes our salvation as being “born again” (John 3:3). The Greek word translated “again” in John 3:3 is ἄνωθεν (an’-ō-then). The word means from above. Therefore being born again requires that a person be born from above, which has to happen outside of you anyways.

John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

As Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3, the kingdom of salvation cannot be earned through human effort or self-righteousness. Only those who are born from above can be saved. Even someone as highly respected and externally religious as Nicodemus—one of the most well-known Bible scholars in Israel—could not contribute anything to his salvation. From God’s perspective, the sinner’s best efforts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

No one can take part in his spiritual birth just like you didn’t do anything to contribute to your natural birth.

4. The “Faith” is a Gift from God

Faith is a gift from God, so is salvation itself. The Bible teaches that we need to put our faith in Christ’s redemptive work in order to be saved. That faith, which we exercise in Christ, is a gift given to us by God, it is “not of works”.

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

This is why the believers do not boast in any of their deeds but in Christ. Our salvation is handed to us free of charge!

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

5. Salvation is a Calling

Our salvation is described in the Bible as a call or calling. You did not call yourself. You’re called by God unto something bigger that you.

Ephesians 1:4-6 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

We’re called unto salvation by the grace of God. And that calling has a purpose. Pay attention to the verses below:

Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

We are “called to be saints”. We are saints because we’ve been made as such. We do not become saints because of what we do. We do what we do because we’re saints.

2 Timothy 1:9-10 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

We called, “not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began…” Whatever we have or become in Christ is by the grace of God. We should therefore live our Christian lives with thankfulness for the grace which we have received. Not to be trying to work for something which we already have.

We do not become saints because of what we do. We do what we do because we’re saints.

The above points do not suggest that our efforts or relationship with God cannot help us know God better. Even though the study of the Word and our services in the Body of Christ can reveal more of God to us, there is nothing we can do to make us more saved or more loved by God. Christ has already done and completed that part of the work.

As follow up to this article, next week, I will discuss why the believers should be zealous of good works. The reason for this follow up article is that many people are quick to conclude that discussion like the above discourages people from making effort to serve or that it encourages them to live in sins. In the next article, I will give you 3 very important biblical reasons why the true Christians need to be zealous of living unto Christ and not unto themselves. Watch out for it.

Even though the study of the Word and our services in the Body of Christ can reveal more of God to us, there is nothing we can do to make us more saved or more loved by God.

Thank you for reading!