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Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. In these three verses, we find what I call the three most important words in the entire Bible. And the reason they're the three most important words is they answer the question, how can we be in a right relationship with God? The three words are grace, faith, and works. Today's author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. For thousands of years, Christians have struggled to understand the relationship between salvation and works.
God's gift of salvation is so immense, it's so priceless, that surely we must have to do something to earn it, right? Well, today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress explains why salvation comes by grace alone through faith alone. Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Just before we turn our attention to the three most important words in the Bible, I'd like to extend a personal invitation to join us on an unforgettable vacation this coming spring. This is an exclusive 12-day Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise.
The dates are May 5th through 16th, 2025. Look, I know you can call up your travel agent and book a trip to Greece, but it won't be anything like the vacation we've planned for you. This is truly a Christian vacation to romantic places like Santorini, Greece, and Naples, Italy, just to name a few. Plus, we're bringing our own wholesome entertainers and Christian music artists. We'll have occasions to study God's Word together as well. And we'll also be visiting the city of Ephesus, which is the basis of our current teaching series.
So please take a look at the remarkable destinations and reserve your spot today by going to ptv.org. Well, during September on Pathway to Victory, I'm presenting a brand new teaching series called Holy Living in an Unholy World. And in conjunction with these daily studies, I've written a brand new book for you. I've purposely divided this volume into two parts, just like the book of Ephesians is divided into two parts. The first chapters deal with our spiritual wealth and the catalog of blessings we have as believers in Jesus Christ. The second part deals with our spiritual walk. It's the how-to portion of my book. Please let me send a copy of my book to your home right away. Again, it's called Holy Living in an Unholy World. And it's yours when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Now it's time to get started with today's study found in Ephesians chapter 2.
I titled today's message, The Three Most Important Words in the Bible. You may remember the date of October the 14th, 1987, when an 18-month-old girl named Jessica McClure was playing in her aunt's backyard in Midland, Texas and accidentally fell into an abandoned well. For the next 58 hours, they seemed like years, but remember watching it on television? Everybody's eyes were glued to the television set in that dramatic rescue effort of baby Jessica. This week I pulled up an interview that was done 10 years after that rescue effort with Jessica McClure and her mom.
Obviously, Jessica didn't remember what had happened to her as an 18-month-old. Just imagine her mom trying to explain to her the drama of that ordeal. Jessica, you were trapped in a 20-foot pit. You were alone without food and without water and with little hope of rescue. We could hear you singing Winnie the Pooh and Jesus Loves Me to comfort yourself, but then the rescuers drilled a 29-foot vertical shaft next to the abandoned well.
And two men made their way down that shaft and they attached you to a board and they lifted you up out of the pit and the whole world cheered when they heard the good news. You know, in many ways, that's an apt description of what God has done for us. We were all trapped in that pit of sin with no hope of rescue. In Ephesians 2, verses 1 to 3, Paul describes our condition. He says that we were spiritually dead.
We couldn't even respond to any rescue attempt. We were not only dead, we were depraved. We were doomed to suffer the wrath of God forever. We had no hope for now or the future, but God, verse 4 says, God intervened in our situation. And he formulated the most dramatic rescue attempt ever made when he sent his own son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come and die for our sins. And when he did that, he performed a miracle. He resurrected us, made us able to respond. Not only did he resurrect us, but he reinstated us to be children of God and he raised us to live in a whole new realm, not in the realm of sin, but of righteousness.
And why did God do all of this? One word, grace. For by grace you have been saved, but God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, he has made us alive together in Christ. Now we have come to verse 8 of that description and Paul was going to circle around once again and hit upon the motivation for God in saving us.
Let me read the passage we're looking at today. Ephesians 2, verses 8 through 10. Paul says, 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.
For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them. In these three verses, we find what I call the three most important words in the entire Bible. And the reason they're the three most important words is they answer the question, how can we be in a right relationship with God? The three words are grace, faith, and works. And there are three simple statements I want to write down on your outline.
I want you to write down. First of all, Paul tells us how we are saved. We are saved by grace. For by grace you have been saved.
He doesn't say we are saved by faith. We are saved by grace. Grace. What is grace? It's an undeserved burst of generosity. An undeserved, inexplicable burst of generosity. It is by grace we have been saved.
God's undeserved burst of generosity to meet a need we could never meet. Another way to understand grace is not just by dictionary definition but by contrast. What grace is not. For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God, not of works. Grace is the opposite of works. You know, if you were to go out after this service and stop 100 people on the streets of downtown Dallas and ask them this question, how do you go to heaven when you die?
What do you have to do? 99 out of 100% of those people would answer something having to do with their works. Something they could do to earn eternal life. And it's easy to understand why people think that.
We condemn people who think that. But it's easy to understand why we think we have to work to earn our salvation. Because every other thing in life that is of value is something that we usually have to work for. A lot of people think they can earn their way into heaven through religious rituals, getting baptized, taking communion, going to a church. But God says no, it is not of works. Why does God refuse to allow us to earn our way to heaven? We're not only incapable, unable to earn it, God is unwilling to allow us to earn it.
Why? If it's of works, it's something we can boast about. Remember Paul says, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
You see, and this is a key point. If salvation is something we work for, then salvation is not a gift from God. It's an obligation that God owes us. Paul explains that in Romans chapter 4. Hold your place here and turn to Romans chapter 4. Romans 4, 4, now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as to what is due.
Think about this. You may get paid on the 15th and 30th of every month. When you get your paycheck, do you go down and throw yourself before your boss and say, oh, thank you so much. This is such a gracious thing for you to do, it would never enter my mind that you would think to give me such a gift.
How many of you do that? Your boss would think you had lost your mind if you did that. Your wage is not a gift. It's an obligation. You had a contract. If you work and do this, this, this, and this, he pays you. It's just a transaction. It's an obligation.
Now think about it. If we work for our salvation, our salvation isn't a gift. It's nothing to thank God for. It's something he owes us. And ladies and gentlemen, God is unwilling to owe any man or woman salvation.
It is a gift. And that's why in verse 5, Paul says, but to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. We are saved by grace.
Charles had this virgin in his devotional mornings and evenings, has a great word about this. He said, it is not your hold of Christ that saves you, it is Christ. It is not your joy in Christ that saves you, it is Christ. It is not even your faith in Christ, although that's instrumental, it is Christ's blood and merit that save you. Therefore, do not look so much to your hand with which you are grasping Christ as to Christ.
Do not look to your hope, but to Jesus, the source of your hope. Do not look to your faith, but to Jesus, the founder and the perfecter of your faith. Ladies and gentlemen, the only way any of us can be saved is when we quit trying to lay our feathers of righteousness on God's scale of righteousness and instead trust in the righteousness of Jesus Christ to save us. 2 Corinthians 5 21 says, for God made him, Jesus, who knew no sin, to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. When we trust in Christ for our salvation, God no longer looks at our unrighteousness, he sees us as having the same righteousness as his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In that balancing scale, no longer do we place our feathers of pseudo-righteousness, but we place the righteousness of Jesus himself. And God pronounces us forgiven. That's what Christianity is.
It is a relationship with God that is built on grace, not works. The great expositor of scripture of yesteryear, G. Campbell Morgan, was once asked a question perhaps you've wondered about. He was asked, how is it that you can explain the thousands and thousands of religions in the world? Why are there thousands of religions in the world? And Morgan responded, there aren't thousands of religions in the world. There aren't even hundreds of religions in the world.
There are only two religions in the world. The first religion, which is every other religion except Christianity, is spelled D-O. Do this, do this, do this, keep this list of regulations, and you might have eternal life. Different religions have different lists, but it all requires D-O. Do this, do this, do this. Christianity is the only religion in the world that is spelled D-O-N-E.
Done. It has all been done by Jesus Christ on the cross. And that's why Paul said, for by grace you have been saved. But there's a second important word, not only grace, for by grace you have been saved through faith. We are saved by grace, but we are saved through faith. That's what he says in verse 8, by grace you have been saved through faith. Now, some people point out, and rightly so, that this word translated through, the preposition dia, can mean by, as well as mean through.
And that's a very true observation. But if you want to translate it by, Paul is saying, for by grace you have been saved by faith. Faith is in the secondary position. It is indirect agency, whereas grace is direct agency. We are saved by grace that comes to us through faith.
Perhaps this illustration will help you understand the difference between the two. Hopefully, in the last week, you have felt the need to take a shower or a bath. In fact, why don't you sniff the person next to you and see if they actually did that or not. Now, there's at some point that you needed to be cleansed. You needed to feel clean. Now, what's the important ingredient in taking a bath or a shower that you have to have to be clean? Water. Now, we need water to be clean. The only problem for most of us, the water we need isn't in our house automatically. It's blocks away in a water tower or miles away at a water treatment center or in a lake behind a dam somewhere. The water is over there, I'm here, somehow I've got to get that water to myself.
How does that happen? It happens through the pipes. The pipes are the delivery system that connect me to the solution to my need for cleansing water. Would anybody ever say I am cleansed by pipes?
No. I am cleansed by water that comes through the pipes. Would anybody say, boy, when I was thirsty, I was so glad I found a great clean pipe.
No, the pipe doesn't satisfy your thirst, the water does, but the water comes through the pipes. But that's exactly what Paul is saying here. We are saved by grace that comes into our life through faith. And by the way, our faith is only as good as the object of our faith. Some people have a lot of faith. They are sincere in their faith, but they're sincerely wrong. The reliability of your faith is only as good as the object of your faith.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me ask you a very important question. What are you trusting in to gain entrance into heaven when you die? What are you trusting in? You may sincerely believe that you're good enough to get into heaven. You may sincerely believe that when you were sprinkled as a baby, that was all it took.
You can be sincere, but you can be sincerely wrong. The only trustworthy object of our faith is Jesus Christ. To believe that when he died, he took the punishment that we deserve. We are saved by grace that we receive through faith. Pastor, are you saying works have nothing to do with our salvation?
No, far from that. Works are very important in the salvation equation, as long as you have them in the right order. We are saved by grace. We are saved through faith. And thirdly, write down, we are saved for good works.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. Then verse 10, for we are his workmanship, created under Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. We are saved by grace, but we are saved for good works. We aren't saved by good works. We're saved for good works. Once we become a Christian, good works are vitally important in a Christian's life.
Why are they important? Paul mentions two reasons, as does the rest of Scripture. First of all, our good works glorify God. When Paul writes, for we are his workmanship, that word workmanship is the Greek word poema.
We get our word poen from it. Did you know you're God's poem to the world? He saved you for a purpose. His purpose for your life didn't end with your salvation, it just begins with your salvation.
He's creating a beautiful tapestry, a beautiful poem that will attract other people to himself. When people see your willingness to forgive, your peace in the midst of turmoil, your total trust in God, your kindness to those who wrong you, when people see that, they're naturally attracted to the God who made you the way you are. That's why in Matthew 5 16, Jesus said, Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and therefore glorify your Father who is in heaven. I like the way one writer puts God's plan for our life. He said, From God's sovereign seat, he foresaw us resting in his protection, boldly taking a stand against evil, compassionately extending a hand to the needy, and lovingly sharing the gospel every time he gives us a chance.
God's plan for our lives extends beyond salvation to sanctification, beyond standing in grace to walking in good deeds. Our good works glorify God. But secondly, good works are important in order to verify our salvation.
Good works don't produce spiritual life, but they prove there is spiritual life. Isn't that what Jesus said in Matthew 3 verse 8? He said, Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Therefore, verse 10, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and is thrown into the fire.
If you have a tree that's not producing fruit, it's dead and it deserves to be cut down. So it is with a Christian. It's not that a Christian loses his salvation because he doesn't bear fruit. If he doesn't bear fruit, it simply shows he never was a Christian to begin with. Where there is genuine faith, there is always going to be spiritual fruit. And that's what Paul says. We are saved by good works, but we are saved for good works.
And our good works not only glorify our Father in Heaven, they verify our salvation. You know, one of the best illustrations of the relationship between faith and works is seen in that Academy Award winning movie, Saving Private Ryan. You remember the movie? It was loosely based on a true story about a family that had four sons serving in World War II. Three of them had been killed in action. And the government had a policy to do everything possible to save that fourth son from being killed, Private Ryan. So they enlist Tom Hanks, a captain, to go behind the enemy lines to try to find and save Private Ryan. And the movie is all about the heroic exploits and the sacrifices that were made. And remember the final scene of the movie? Private Ryan stumbles over the Tom Hanks character who's been mortally wounded at this point. And Tom Hanks looks up at Private Ryan.
He looks around at all the devastation around him that had been caused by the rescue effort. And Tom Hanks utters the two final words of the movie. Earn this. Earn this. What was he saying to Private Ryan? What do you mean to earn this? Was his rescue something that he earned?
No. This rescue effort went on without Private Ryan's knowledge of it, much less his effort in it. He wasn't saying there was anything the private could have done to earn his rescue. But he was saying, look at the cost that has been paid for your rescue. Now you go live your life in a way that's worthy of the sacrifice that has been made on your behalf. And that's what God says to us. Walk now in a way that is worthy of the calling with which you have been called.
Why? Because for by grace you have been saved through faith. And that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship. Created by Christ Jesus unto good works that God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Jesus paid an unimaginable price in order to save you and me. So, how will you live in light of His sacrifice?
That's the question that lingers in our minds as we explore the letter Paul wrote to the Ephesians. You know, when this series was originally presented to the congregation at First Baptist Church in Dallas, it contained far more teaching material than we've had time to present on our broadcast ministry. In a moment, David will explain how you can receive the entire, unedited collection of messages on CD and DVD so that you don't miss a thing. But first, I want to make sure you're among those who receives my companion book for this series.
It too is called, Holy Living in an Unholy World. When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'd be pleased to send a copy to your home right away. It's among the most practical books I've ever written because it's based on the timeless wisdom of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. In closing, I want to share a note I received from Evelyn in California.
She wrote, Well, thank you, Evelyn, for writing. I'm so glad this ministry is a blessing to you and your family during this difficult season. And thanks to all of you who support Pathway to Victory. Together, we are sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with people searching for hope and truth.
David? Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. Today, when you support the ministry of Pathway to Victory by giving a generous gift, we'll say thanks by sending you, Holy Living in an Unholy World.
That's the brand new book by Dr. Robert Jeffress. Simply give us a call, 866-999-2965. Or, next time you're online, go to ptv.org. Now, when your gift is $75 or more, you'll also receive the complete Holy Living in an Unholy World teaching series on both DVD video and MP3 format audio discs.
You'll get all that along with the companion study guide. One more time, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. If you'd prefer to write, here's that mailing address, P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. That's P.O.
Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins. For most of human history, a wall has existed between man and God.
But when Jesus lived, died, and rose again, everything changed. Learn more when you listen Thursday to Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway Partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His word. To become a Pathway Partner, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
