The Bible is very clear on the means of salvation – it is by grace alone. Not of any works. You cannot earn it. A thousand good deeds does not give you an even standing before God. A thousand sacrifices does not entitle you to eternal life.
One of the most common objections to salvation by grace is this – if people are taught that salvation is purely by God’s grace and their eternity is secure by His completed work on the cross, they will take it as a license to sin. They will live however they want, defiling themselves and living the worst life possible.
This is a common misconception.
Let me try and equate this to an earthly example.
You earn £20,000 pounds a year. You desperately want to buy a house, the banks tell you the maximum mortgage they can offer you is £100,000. You are in debt and have no savings. All the good houses in your area are well over £100,000.
One fine day as you are pondering your situation, a gentleman walks into your house and says he knows your predicament. He says he is aware of your financial state and your desperate need for a house. He asks you to come with him for a drive. He then takes you to the best part of the country and shows you a house worth £900 million. The house is fully decked with expensive items, marble finish everywhere, crystal chandeliers and other exquisite items dotted about. Beautiful manicured gardens surround the house. The gentleman then says, this house is my gift for you. I don’t know why, he says, I just feel I need to give this to you completely free. I have brought the papers for getting the house legalised in your name. Just sign here and you can have this house. It is all paid for.
Now tell me. Will your first thought be, oh wow, let me get a hammer. I cannot believe he has given me this stunning house and even legalised it in my name. I am free to do whatever I want with this house. I’ll take a hammer and smash up all these beautiful chandeliers and marble and glass. I want a shovel as well, I want to dig up all the manicured gardens and destroy the flower bed. It is mine, I can do whatever I want!
Only a lunatic will think and act like this. The same goes for salvation.
It is such a precious gift, eons more expensive than a £900 million house, it is invaluable in fact. Even in a million years we would be unable to earn it. If one has truly understood the meaning of salvation and received this gift of eternal life, will their thought process be on how to go about destroying their life with sin??
Ponder on this.