Paul writes, 'By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God' (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV). Why did Paul say we are saved through grace alone? Because trying to obtain salvation by keeping the law sets you up for failure. 'If you obey every law except one, you are still guilty of breaking them all' (James 2:10 CEV). You say, 'That's an impossible standard!' You're right! The law is like an X-ray machine; it can reveal what's under the surface and identify the problem, but it can't fix it. The law is also like a mirror. It can tell you that you need to apply make-up, or shave or comb your hair, but it can't do these things for you. In other words, the law can show you your problem but can't solve it.

But what the law could not do, Jesus did on the cross (see Romans 8:3). When Jesus said, 'It is finished' (John 19:30 NIV), all your sins from the cradle to the grave were atoned for. And when you put your trust in him, you are saved for time and eternity.

Some people acknowledge that we are made right with God by grace, through putting our trust in Jesus. But, they believe we maintain our salvation by keeping the works of the law. The problem is, even on our best day, we cannot live up to all the demands of a perfect God. The hymnist wrote, 'Trusting as the moments fly, trusting as the days go by; trusting him whate'er befall, trusting Jesus, that is all!'

— SCRIPTURE —
'You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.' Ephesians 2:8 NCV
— SOULFOOD —
2 Ki 7-9, Luke 14:1-14, Ps 136:13-26, Pro 6:32-35