Lesson 4 - Not By Works

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 "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."

 

Grace – Undeserved favor

 

We are saved:

By ______________

Through ______________

That not of ___________________.

It (salvation) is the ___________ of God.

 

Remember, a gift is something that is not purchased or earned by you. It is something of which someone else bears the cost.

Salvation is not of _______________.

Why is salvation not of works? _________________

 

Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

 

We are saved not by _____________ _____ _______________________.

We are saved according to his _____________.

 

Regeneration – A rebirth, new birth, born again.

 

Salvation is a new birth. Salvation is a renewing. When we are saved by God’s mercy we are spiritually reborn and renewed.

 

Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

 

We are all as what? ________________

All our righteousness (good works) are as what? ________________

 

We cannot be saved because we are good (we are unclean) or because we do good (our goodness is like filthy rags).

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Romans 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

 

Justified – To be right with the law. It is the opposite of condemned.

By the ___________ _____ _______ ________ there shall ______ flesh be justified (made right with the law) in his ___________.

 

What matters is how God sees us and not others.

By the law is the ___________________ of __________.

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Galatians 2:16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

 

By what is a man not justified? ___________________

By what is a man justified? ______________________

By the works of the law who can be justified? ____________

 

Matthew 7:22-23 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

 

On the day of judgment many will claim to have done many what? ______________

Can a man be justified by his good works? ________________

What will the Lord say to them who profess good works? _________________

The Lord said of them that claimed good works that they work ________________.

 

They had a different assessment of their works. They thought they were wonderful works the Lord said they were works of iniquity!

 

It is important to recognize that not only are we lost in sin but that we cannot be good enough to save ourselves.

Is salvation a gift or something you can earn by good works?

Are you going to be saved by your good works or the mercy of God?

Is all your righteousness (good works) filthy rags in the sight of God?

Are you made right with the law by your ability to keep the law?

If you cannot be justified by the works of the law can you be justified by the faith of Jesus Christ?

Whose assessment of your works will matter in the day of judgment? Yours or the Lord’s? __________