By Joe Hawkins
In a world where performance is praised and merit is rewarded, the concept of receiving something so precious—eternal life—freely, seems almost too good to be true. Yet, this is precisely the message of the gospel: that salvation is a gift from God, received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. It is not earned, not worked for, and not maintained through human effort. This truth, affirmed by over 150 clear passages in Scripture, forms the bedrock of the Christian faith. Thanks to the work of Dr. J.B. Hixson of NBW Ministries, we are reminded of the abundance of biblical evidence supporting this crucial doctrine.
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proclaims with one voice that we are saved by faith. Not faith plus works. Not faith plus church membership. Not faith plus baptism. Just faith. The finished work of Christ on the cross is sufficient—completely and eternally. Jesus paid it all. To add anything to His work is to declare it incomplete, and in doing so, we insult the very grace that saves us.
Scriptural Foundation
Consider the consistency of this message across the New Testament. In John 3:16, Jesus declares, “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Just a few verses later, in John 3:36, we read, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life.” The language is not complicated. It does not say, “He who believes and obeys all the commandments,” or “He who believes and serves in ministry.” It says simply: believe.
The Gospel of John alone, often called “the Gospel of Belief,” contains dozens of affirmations of this truth. John 1:12 tells us, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” John 5:24 speaks with eternal finality: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
Throughout Acts, the pattern continues. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?” the response was immediate and unequivocal: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Not “Believe and behave,” not “Believe and be baptized,” but simply, believe.
Paul’s letters repeatedly emphasize this point. Romans 3:28 states, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” Galatians 2:16 hammers it home: “A man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:8-9 famously declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
These are not isolated verses taken out of context—they are a flood of divine assurance. The testimony of Scripture is overwhelming: salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Faith Alone Does Not Give Us a License to Sin
Critics of this doctrine often respond with alarm: “If you tell people they’re saved by faith alone, they’ll think they can live however they want!” But Scripture answers this objection too. The apostle Paul confronted it head-on in Romans 6:1-2: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!” True faith transforms. When a person places their trust in Christ, they are made new. Their identity is changed, their desires are realigned, and the indwelling Holy Spirit begins a lifelong process of sanctification.
However, this transformation is not a requirement for salvation—it is the result of it. The moment we mix works with grace, we redefine the gospel. Salvation is not a contract of performance; it is a covenant of promise.
Yet, we must be clear: believing in Christ does not make us sinless. Even the apostle Paul confessed his struggle with sin in Romans 7, saying, “For what I am doing, I do not understand… I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). Christians are not perfect. We are not called to perfection but to dependence—on Christ and His Spirit, daily.
A Call to Rest in the Finished Work
To rest in Christ’s finished work is not spiritual laziness—it is the ultimate act of faith. Hebrews speaks of those who “have believed [and] enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:3). Our salvation is secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because He holds tightly to us (John 10:28). The assurance of salvation is not arrogant presumption—it is biblical confidence. As 1 John 5:13 tells us, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Those who truly grasp the magnitude of God’s grace are not driven to sin but to worship. They don’t abuse grace—they cherish it. They understand that their obedience flows not from obligation, but from gratitude. Works matter—not for salvation, but as evidence of a growing faith and love for Christ (James 2:23). We work because we are saved, not to get saved or stay saved.
The Danger of Adding to the Gospel
Perhaps the greatest threat to the gospel today is not outright denial but distortion. Satan loves religion. He loves adding fine print to the gospel. He whispers, “Yes, Jesus saves—but you better keep proving yourself.” That is a lie. The Galatians were rebuked for falling into this trap: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). Salvation is not grace at the start and works at the finish. It is grace from first to last.
When we tell people they must do something to earn God’s favor, we rob Christ of His glory. When we insist that faith must be accompanied by a certain level of behavior to be valid, we elevate human effort and diminish the sufficiency of the cross.
The gospel is not complicated. It is not a theological puzzle. It is not a performance-based system. It is a promise. Believe, and you will be saved.
Conclusion: Stand Firm in Grace
The message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is not a doctrine to be debated—it is a truth to be declared. The apostle Paul warned against any deviation: “If any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:9).
We must contend for this truth in a world where religion so often clouds grace and where the simplicity of the gospel is drowned in human effort. Faith alone saves because Christ alone is enough.
Let us stand firmly on the authority of Scripture—over 150 verses strong—and boldly proclaim the good news: salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone. And because of that, to Him alone be the glory.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
www.prophecyrecon.com
In a world where performance is praised and merit is rewarded, the concept of receiving something so precious—eternal life—freely, seems almost too good to be true. Yet, this is precisely the message of the gospel: that salvation is a gift from God, received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. It is not earned, not worked for, and not maintained through human effort. This truth, affirmed by over 150 clear passages in Scripture, forms the bedrock of the Christian faith. Thanks to the work of Dr. J.B. Hixson of NBW Ministries, we are reminded of the abundance of biblical evidence supporting this crucial doctrine.
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proclaims with one voice that we are saved by faith. Not faith plus works. Not faith plus church membership. Not faith plus baptism. Just faith. The finished work of Christ on the cross is sufficient—completely and eternally. Jesus paid it all. To add anything to His work is to declare it incomplete, and in doing so, we insult the very grace that saves us.
Scriptural Foundation
Consider the consistency of this message across the New Testament. In John 3:16, Jesus declares, “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Just a few verses later, in John 3:36, we read, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life.” The language is not complicated. It does not say, “He who believes and obeys all the commandments,” or “He who believes and serves in ministry.” It says simply: believe.
The Gospel of John alone, often called “the Gospel of Belief,” contains dozens of affirmations of this truth. John 1:12 tells us, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” John 5:24 speaks with eternal finality: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
Throughout Acts, the pattern continues. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved?” the response was immediate and unequivocal: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Not “Believe and behave,” not “Believe and be baptized,” but simply, believe.
Paul’s letters repeatedly emphasize this point. Romans 3:28 states, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” Galatians 2:16 hammers it home: “A man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:8-9 famously declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
These are not isolated verses taken out of context—they are a flood of divine assurance. The testimony of Scripture is overwhelming: salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Faith Alone Does Not Give Us a License to Sin
Critics of this doctrine often respond with alarm: “If you tell people they’re saved by faith alone, they’ll think they can live however they want!” But Scripture answers this objection too. The apostle Paul confronted it head-on in Romans 6:1-2: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!” True faith transforms. When a person places their trust in Christ, they are made new. Their identity is changed, their desires are realigned, and the indwelling Holy Spirit begins a lifelong process of sanctification.
However, this transformation is not a requirement for salvation—it is the result of it. The moment we mix works with grace, we redefine the gospel. Salvation is not a contract of performance; it is a covenant of promise.
Yet, we must be clear: believing in Christ does not make us sinless. Even the apostle Paul confessed his struggle with sin in Romans 7, saying, “For what I am doing, I do not understand… I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). Christians are not perfect. We are not called to perfection but to dependence—on Christ and His Spirit, daily.
A Call to Rest in the Finished Work
To rest in Christ’s finished work is not spiritual laziness—it is the ultimate act of faith. Hebrews speaks of those who “have believed [and] enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:3). Our salvation is secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because He holds tightly to us (John 10:28). The assurance of salvation is not arrogant presumption—it is biblical confidence. As 1 John 5:13 tells us, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Those who truly grasp the magnitude of God’s grace are not driven to sin but to worship. They don’t abuse grace—they cherish it. They understand that their obedience flows not from obligation, but from gratitude. Works matter—not for salvation, but as evidence of a growing faith and love for Christ (James 2:23). We work because we are saved, not to get saved or stay saved.
The Danger of Adding to the Gospel
Perhaps the greatest threat to the gospel today is not outright denial but distortion. Satan loves religion. He loves adding fine print to the gospel. He whispers, “Yes, Jesus saves—but you better keep proving yourself.” That is a lie. The Galatians were rebuked for falling into this trap: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). Salvation is not grace at the start and works at the finish. It is grace from first to last.
When we tell people they must do something to earn God’s favor, we rob Christ of His glory. When we insist that faith must be accompanied by a certain level of behavior to be valid, we elevate human effort and diminish the sufficiency of the cross.
The gospel is not complicated. It is not a theological puzzle. It is not a performance-based system. It is a promise. Believe, and you will be saved.
Conclusion: Stand Firm in Grace
The message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is not a doctrine to be debated—it is a truth to be declared. The apostle Paul warned against any deviation: “If any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:9).
We must contend for this truth in a world where religion so often clouds grace and where the simplicity of the gospel is drowned in human effort. Faith alone saves because Christ alone is enough.
Let us stand firmly on the authority of Scripture—over 150 verses strong—and boldly proclaim the good news: salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone. And because of that, to Him alone be the glory.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
Unshakable Assurance:
In a world where performance is praised and merit is rewarded, the concept of receiving something so precious—eternal life—freely, seems almost too good to be true. Yet, this is precisely the message of the gospel: that salvation is a gift from God, received by grace through faith in Jesus...
www.prophecyrecon.com
