God’s grace eliminates boasting (Rom. 3:27) and self-righteousness (Phil. 3:9), but it does not eliminate works per se. It does away with works that are the result of human effort alone (Eph. 2:8). It abolishes any attempt to merit God’s favor by our works (v. 9). But it does not deter God’s foreordained purpose that our walk should be characterized by good works. Works are the fruit, not the root, of a sinner’s salvation.

We must remember above all that salvation is a sovereign work of God. Biblically it is defined by what it produces, not by what one does to get it. “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). As a part of His saving work, God will produce repentance, faith, sanctification, yieldedness, obedience, and ultimately glorification.

 Since He is not dependent on human effort in producing those elements, an experience that lacks any of them cannot be the saving work of God. Those who are truly born of God have a faith that cannot fail to overcome the world (1 John 5:4). We may sin (1 John 2:1)—we will sin—but the process of sanctification can never stall completely. God is at work in us (Phil. 2:13), and He will continue to perfect us until the day of Christ (Phil. 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:23–24).

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