What did Abraham discover? Salvation respects the glory of God. The Bible speaks in Romans 4:2 LITV, For if Abraham was justified by works, he has a boast, but not with God.
If Abraham was saved by his works and not by the grace of God alone, Abraham could boast and glory in his own salvation. Abraham could say, I contributed to my salvation, or I did this or I did that, but Abraham did not receive righteousness by works, but the Bible says, And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness- God receives the glory. Abraham glorified God because he believed God. To believe God brings glory to God. The best thing we can do to glorify God is to believe God. Always remember, we only believe God because of the grace of God.
The Bible says in 1John 5:10 LITV, The one believing in the Son of God has the witness in himself. The one not believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son.
In simple terms, If a person believes not in the Lord Jesus Christ, that person is calling God a liar. No matter what the person does, if he or she does not believe in the true and living God, they cannot glorify God. The greatest thing a person can do to glorify God is to believe God. The Bible teaches that Biblical faith pleases God, because it glorifies God. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 LITV, But without faith it is impossible to please God. For it is right that the one drawing near to God should believe that He is, and that He becomes a rewarder to the ones seeking Him out. Again, to believe God, delights God, it glorifies God.
Understand that faith is not God authenticating it to me then I will believe, absolutely not, that is not faith. Faith reacts to the nature and the character of God. True faith believes in God because He is God. True faith believes God according to His Word (the Bible) and calls Him not a liar.
If a person was saved by contributing by his own works, he would receive glory for that and take away glory from God, but when God saves by His grace in the Lord Jesus, that person receives no glory, and God receives all the glory as He should. We are not saved by our works, but by His work in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 LITV, For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, that not anyone should boast. When a person preaches a gospel of faith and works, they are preaching another gospel, they are doing the work of Satan. The apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:8 LITV, But even if we, or an angel out of Heaven, should announce a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed. Strong language used by Paul. To believe in any other gospel, is a wicked sin against Almighty God.
Why do so many people want to work their salvation? The answer is pride. They would rather work their way to heaven, than humbly come before the Lord and recognize that they are helpless without Him, and need the grace of God.
Imagine, if a person wanted to buy a new house for someone that was worth a lot of money, say, one million pound; Imagine before He gave the keys to him, the man said to him, I cannot allow you to pay for all this house, let me put something towards it. So, the man reached into his pocket and gave him 50 pence. The other man paid almost one million pound, and he paid 50 pence. Then one day, his friends came around the house and they said to him, You have a nice house, and he said to them, Yes, me and the another man bought it. Do you see how ridiculous that sounds? To add to the grace of God is to destroy the glory that God deserves.
A person goes to heaven with an empty hand, for Christ did it all; We pay nothing, He has paid it all. In my hand no price I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. When a person gets saved, God receives all the glory. There is nothing we can add to salvation. God will not share His glory with anyone else, and to bring our works into salvation, is an attempt to take away from God, which is a wicked sin.
Anyone who is depending on their works to play a part in their salvation, will not end up in heaven because they have not believed in Christ, the righteousness of God, where righteousness can only be found, and the forgiveness of sins. Christ said, It is finished. Christ has paid the sin debt in full for those who put their faith in Him, to save them by His perfect work. God said in Isaiah 64:6 LITV, But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth. God will not accept our filthy rags. The justice of God is only satisfied in the Lord Jesus, and what He has done. There is no middle ground. The Lord Jesus said in John 8:24 LITV, Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.
There are many in this generation who are walking pompously to hell. There are people who think they are to good to be damned. There is no one too good to be damned, because there is no one good, but God. The Bible says in Romans 3:12 LITV, All turned away, they become worthless together, not one is doing goodness, not so much as one. The Lord Jesus said that No one is good except One, God! (Matthew 19:17b LITV). There is no one in heaven boasting about their part in salvation, they will not be there, they will be in hell, but only those boasting in the Lord Jesus Christ will be there, the One who paid for their sin for their salvation, when He laid down His Life on the Cross, and was buried, and raised for their justification. All glory goes to Him.
Abraham believed in God, and it was counted for righteousness, and the same for every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ- we have received the perfect righteousness of Christ. Praise the Lord! A believer in Christ does good works because they are saved, not to get saved. A believer in Christ is saved unto (which means for) good works. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:10 LITV, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:38 LITV, But the just shall live by faith.
