Saved by grace and not by deeds?

Question

Isn't the act of "confessing that you are a sinner and need Jesus" a deed? Why can't an all-powerful, all-benevolent God extend grace to everyone, not just those who perform this particular deed? Is this one deed really more valuable than feeding the poor and teaching the illiterate?

Answer 1

Biblically speaking, faith must have works, or it is empty.

"For he will render every man according to his works . . ." (Rom. 2:6-8).

"‘Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’" (Matt. 7:21)

"What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?" (Jas. 2:14)

"You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone" (Jas. 2:24).

Answer 2

If you knew a criminal was guilty of murder and theft, and the judge let him go free because he said he was sorry, would you consider this judge just? No. Would he be a good judge? The answer is obvious: no.

By sinning, you have offended a holy and just God and you are guilty. He cannot tolerate sin because He is truly perfect. If you have ever once in your life lied, stolen anything, or hated anyone (Jesus said hating someone is counted as murder in God's eyes) you are guilty. You have missed His perfect standard, and He can't lower it. Should God let you go free? Should He judge you innocent when He knows you're not? Of course not.

If this guilty criminal in the courtroom were to tell the judge the judge that in addition to his crimes he had also fed the poor and taught the illiterate, should this mean anything to his sentence when he is guilty of murder? Of course not. The crimes must be paid for. That's the law of the land. That's also the Law of the heart (also known as your conscience) and it's also God's Law.

Now the Good News: your penalty has already been paid. You need to accept it and trust in that. You need to confess your sins to God and repent of them (turn away from those sins.) You need to confess that Jesus is Lord, and let Him be Lord of your life. The only way to be made perfectly righteous, and therefore acceptable to God, is through Jesus Christ. You can't make up your own rules. Go to the Bible and see what it says. Start with the parts the other answerers have given you and go from there.

Answer 3

Deeds are works. When you confess that you're a sinner and that you need Jesus, you do it because you have FAITH in Jesus. It's not a work.

When God created us (mankind), he gave all of us something unique: free-will. Unfortunately, He can't MAKE us believe, because we have to CHOSE to do so. If he forced us to believe, would you call that love? Would you call that true, genuine love? No.
[Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 KJV]

Yes, repenting is really more valuable than feeding the poor and teaching the illiterate. What is the purpose of helping others when you don't have Jesus in your life?

Answer 4

It is not the act of speaking that brings salvation, otherwise, those who cannot speak would be lost. It is a heart matter. It is written:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved". One can only make this confession once salvation, by grace, has occurred. It is through the Holy Spirit that we are convicted of sin and brought to repentance. Simply uttering some words won't get it done, neither will good works.

"For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any should boast" Eph. 2:8 & 9

Answer 5

Yes, this is in fact a deed, but this is is the most valuable deed, the opportunity of which is given to us by God under heaven whereby we must be saved through the Lord Jesus! This is touching upon approaching an all-powerful, holy, sacred, set-apart God to whom we must answer through the avenue of faith, and He can then extend His grace to whoever will believe and act upon that belief in a God who exists and who rewards those who diligently and lovingly and joyfully come to Him in this attitude that pleases this God who does not play favorites. We put action to our beliefs since faith must be mixed with works in order to accomplish much in the way of our responsibility as believers to Him, and this is also what honors Him. One gets saved by the confession of sins and submitting themselves in faith in a God who responds to that one who repents of their sins so that their sins may be removed, and that is indeed an example of mixing faith with works.

Answer 6

Luke 23:40-40 3. The thief confessed his sins, proclaimed Jesus' innocence and requested to be remembered by employing Jesus. His deeds were confession and searching for forgiveness. "The Lord is close to to all who call upon Him; to all who call upon Him in reality." Psalm one hundred forty 5. saying salvation is by employing grace is in basic terms an excuse to stay a thoroughly immoral existence w/o worry of effect. Deeds (sturdy or undesirable) do not count number because if you're kept by employing grace there is not something you would possibly want to do to lose it. in which case, there's no element in following the ten Commandments. there's no element in feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, or vacationing the ill and imprisoned. yet what did Jesus say about those who do not try this for the least of his brothers? they did not do it for him. and they are solid out of heaven. not everybody who says to Jesus, "Lord, Lord" receives to enter the dominion of heaven. Produce sturdy fruit. enable your gentle shine before adult men. Forgive your brother 70 circumstances 7 circumstances. if you're struck on one cheek, turn and provide the different one. provide to whomever asks. except your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees you received't enter the dominion of heaven. this is all about deeds. Grace is a fiction.

Answer 7

confessing that you are a sinner and need JESUS is not a deed it a form oif your acknowledging that you have dont wrong and you know he is the only way to make thinga right .He does extend his grace to all , how do you think you nmade it this far it is by his grace that you make it everyday honey.he said his grace is suffiecient ,basically its more than enough

Answer 8

Uhh, he did. " For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." (Titus 2:11)

Answer 9

read James 2:14-26
verse 26 says: for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

Gods grace is always extended - to every human creature - it's we who opt to accept or deny.

Answer 10

we are judged on deeds, only actions not talk can one prove intent of heart....by doing right by those who seek can god be seen