Jesus declares that hypothetically if we were to keep all his commands, we would still have no right to boast. “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do”<\/em>‘ (Luke 17:10).<\/p>\nSomehow the idea has found its way into religious thought that if people were to have to keep commandments to be saved, that would mean they would have a right to boast of their salvation. So, since the Bible declares that our salvation is “not of works, lest anyone should boast,”<\/em>\u00a0we are saved by grace alone without any works of any kind on our part. The following verses are often quoted as proof: “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. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them<\/em>” (Ephesians 2:8-10, KJV).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It should be obvious that the kind of works under consideration here are works that would give one a reason to boast in his salvation. We might have a reason to boast if the commands or instructions for our salvation were ours. But they are not\u00a0ours<\/em>, they come from God. When we do them, it is God<\/em>\u00a0working in us by our doing\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0will and not\u00a0ours<\/em>. Whatever the “not of works<\/em>” by which no one is saved may be – it is not that of not keeping God’s commands. When we keep\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0commands, it is “not of ourselves<\/em>” – it is of Him. When we obey\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0commands, we are\u00a0His<\/em> workmanship. We are not self-made, we are God-made when we follow His instructions. The “not of works<\/em>” in that passage is evidently “not of works of our own.” Every command or work that contributes to our salvation comes from God. When we do them, we are not saved of ourselves or by works (of our own) but by the works of God. It is God working in us when we obey His commands. “Therefore, my beloved,\u00a0as you have always obeyed<\/strong>, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for\u00a0it is God who works in you<\/strong>\u00a0both to will and to do for His good pleasure<\/em>” (Philippians 2:12-13).<\/p>\n Even the act of believing itself is a “work of God” that we must do to be saved. “Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent<\/em>” (John 6:28-29).<\/p>\nWhen I obey God’s commands to repent, confess with the mouth, and be baptized to be saved (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 10:10), my salvation is not of myself. The whole process is a gift of God by virtue of\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0giving me the commands and the blessing involved in salvation from my past sins. When I obey the commands\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0grace teaches (Titus 2:11-12) to be faithful as a Christian, and to be We might would have a right to boast if we by our wisdom could devise a scheme whereby we could be saved and had the power to pull it off. Since that is not possible, we have to depend on God’s wisdom and power to save us. Hence we have no right to boast but must give all the glory and credit to him because it is his plan we are following and not ours. We are his workmanship created in Christ unto good works.<\/p>\n The only kinds of works by which we are not saved, that Paul teaches, are works of our own and the works of the Law of Moses. The works by which we are justified in the New Testament are in neither category. They are the works in obedience to the faith (Romans 1:5; 16:26). This is the kind of works that James speaks of when he wrote, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only<\/em>” (James 2:24; KJV).<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Edward Bragwell, Sr. via\u00a0Biblical Insights, June 2014 Jesus declares that hypothetically if we were to keep all his commands, we would still have no right to boast. “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[54,126,55],"class_list":["post-43274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-obedience","tag-pride","tag-works"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":77346,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/baptism-grace-and-works\/","url_meta":{"origin":43274,"position":0},"title":"Baptism, Grace, and Works","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Andy Belknap There are many people today who believe that baptism (immersion) is not essential to being saved. I truly believe this is one of Satan's grandest lies that he has successfully spread throughout the ages. What greater way is there to snatch souls away from God than to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":92081,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/earning-salvation\/","url_meta":{"origin":43274,"position":1},"title":"Earning Salvation?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer Many believe that the reason we can't \"do anything\" is that doing something implies we think we are earning salvation. This is one of the arguments against baptism: baptism is a work, and we aren't saved by works but by grace; therefore, baptism can't be required for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63421,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/salvation-by-grace-through-faith\/","url_meta":{"origin":43274,"position":2},"title":"Salvation by Grace Through Faith","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 17, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 2:1-10 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When we read Ephesians 2:8-10, there are four important words which stand out: grace, saved, faith, and works. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The gift mentioned in verse 8 is the gift of salvation given to us by God\u2019s grace. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Grace is an unmerited favor. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46657,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/notes-on-works\/","url_meta":{"origin":43274,"position":3},"title":"Notes on Works","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"We are not saved by the things that we do. God's grace saves us and not works in which we could boast - Ephesians 2:8-9 Works of the Old Testament Law cannot save, by themselves, because the Law brings the knowledge of sin - Romans 3:20 We are justified by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Notes","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43583,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/salvation-by-grace\/","url_meta":{"origin":43274,"position":4},"title":"Salvation by Grace (Cope)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"by James R. Cope via\u00a0The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 12, October, 1952. In Titus 2:11-13 we read: \"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2026,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/since-teaching-is-a-work-then-it-doesnt-save-right\/","url_meta":{"origin":43274,"position":5},"title":"Since teaching is a work, then it doesn’t save. Right?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 29, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Telling others about Christ is a work. \"For by grace we are saved through faith, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast\u00a0\" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Answer: There was a branch of the Baptist denomination that fully accepted the idea that being saved was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43274\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/em>\n
\nultimately saved eternally in the end, I am doing\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0work. I can stand before Him in that day and praise\u00a0Him<\/em>\u00a0for\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0eternal plan to save me and keep me saved by the power of\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0gospel. I will not be able to take one iota of credit, because it will have been by His power working in me. The only sense in which it can be said that I worked out my own salvation or that I saved myself (cf. Acts 2:40) will be that I submitted my will to\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0will and thus was saved by\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0power –\u00a0His<\/em>\u00a0power to command, promise and to pardon.\n