McCheyne’s Bible Reading Plan: Ex 33, Jn 12, Pr 9, Eph 2
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins… But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ… For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not 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, that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:1,4,8-10)
There is much confusion over what a person must do to be saved, both because it is our inclination to be able to do something that might earn our own way and because the Bible does speak much about the need to do good works. But Paul makes it clear that you can’t contribute to your salvation any more than a dead man can contribute to his own resurrection. Good works come onto play as a result. They are important because they are the result of a truly “reborn” person.