Ephesians 2:1-10 (KJV)
2 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 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.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 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.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2 says, “By grace, through faith….unto good works.” In other words, good works are the OUTCOME of being in Christ and living by faith — they are not the MEANS to keep in Him. In short, if we are in Christ, we will want to obey God. It will be in our, “spiritual DNA,” if you know what I mean, to want to obey Christ. But we won’t obey Him to earn something, or because we are afraid, or because we think it will prove our righteousness. We will want to obey because we love Him — He is IN US. It is utterly contrary to human thinking to want to obey God — unless we think it will earn us something or unless it will improve our standing before Him. But Christ is in us and our hearts have been changed by Him. A human example — there is certain conduct that emerges from loving another human being. It is not forced, and we don’t do it to earn. We do it because we love. THAT is what God is after — and it is impossible unless we are born from above. Christians have been trying to substitute for Christ as the ONLY means by which we can walk with God for 2000 years — we use laws, fear, condemnation, and religion. But none of it is real. It must be by grace, through faith UNTO good works — because we love.