Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

Is Salvation a FREE GIFT from YEHOVAH God?

by John D. Keyser

The question of how we gain YEHOVAH's forgiveness is perhaps the most widely misunderstood issue in Christianity today. If you asked a cross section of people how a person can achieve salvation, most of them would give you a similar answer. It would be along the lines of "living a good life," "being kind to others," "going to church," etc. They would use different words, but they would mean that salvation -- in terms of eternal life -- is achieved by you earning it or deserving it through your own good conduct during your life.

To understand real Christianity correctly, we need to grasp a very surprising fact which goes against all our instincts. It is that receiving eternal life is something that we can never earn or deserve through our own efforts or goodness. There is absolutely nothing you can ever do to be good enough to earn eternal life. What you would have to do, in theory, would be to live your entire life from birth to death without ever doing anything wrong whatsoever.

Even one sinful thought, action or word at any point would ruin everything. It would be like driving all your life without breaking the speed limit but then, for one moment, on one day, you go over the speed limit. You would be guilty and liable to a fine regardless of the fact that this was the only time you had ever done it.

In YEHOVAH's eyes anyone who sins at all is a sinner. That makes you unacceptable to Him and unworthy to be in His presence. It is all or nothing. Usually people argue back that if, on balance, they are "mostly good" then surely that will be enough. Their assumption is that YEHOVAH God must operate some kind of weighing scale system whereby He weighs up your good deeds alongside your bad deeds. Then, if the good deeds outweigh the bad deeds, that makes you a good person overall -- who therefore deserves eternal life. It is interesting that this concept is found in the religion of ancient Egypt, and can be seen in much of the Egyptian tomb art and frescoes.

We need to get this straight right now: You are not a good person! I am not a good person! Nobody you know is a good person! Nobody living on your street is a good person. Nobody living in your town is a good person. There is no such thing as a "good" person! Even the best things we do aren't good enough to be acceptable to YEHOVAH God. Notice how the prophet Isaiah puts it:

Isaiah 64:6: "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away" (NASB).

So with this in mind, is salvation by faith alone, or is salvation by faith plus works? This is perhaps the most important question in all of Christian theology. This question was the cause of the Reformation -- the split between Protestantism and Catholicism. This question is a key difference between biblical Christianity and most of the cults. Is salvation through faith alone or through faith plus human works? Stated another way, am I saved by trusting in the Messiah, or do I have to believe in the Messiah and, in addition, do certain things?

The works in addition to faith needed for salvation differ in various religious circles. Many groups point to water baptism as a work that must be added to faith for salvation -- if you’re not baptized, you’re not saved. Some go even further: you must be baptized by the right minister, using the right method, saying the right words.

Others suggest different rites to be observed in order to be saved, but the formula is always faith + [fill in the blank]. Salvation is through faith + receiving Mass, faith + going to confession, faith + tithing, faith + baptism, faith + speaking in tongues, etc.

Many passages of the Bible teach that salvation is through faith alone, not faith plus works. Ephesians 2:8-9, for example, is clearly worded and unequivocal: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast.” Of great importance is the word grace, which refers to YEHOVAH God’s blessings on the undeserving. The very idea of grace negates all attempts to earn salvation. Paul makes that argument when teaching on YEHOVAH’s choosing of the remnant of Israel: “Since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is -- free and undeserved” (Romans 11:6, NLT).

Other passages that clearly teach salvation through faith alone include Acts 16:31; Romans 3:28; 4:5; 5:1; Galatians 2:16; 3:24; Ephesians 1:13; and Philippians 3:9.

Acts 16:30-31: "Then, leading them outside, he [the jailer] said, 'Men, what must I do to be saved?' They said, 'Trust in the Lord Yeshua, and you will be saved -- you and your household!'" (Jewish New Testament).

Romans 3:28: "Therefore, we hold the view that a person comes to be considered righteous by God on the ground of trusting, which has nothing to do with legalistic observance of Torah [Bible] commands" (JNT).

Romans 4:5: "However, in the case of one who is not working but rather is trusting in him [the Messiah] who makes ungodly people righteous, his trust is credited to him as righteousness" (JNT).

Romans 5:1-2: "So, since we have come to be considered righteous by God because of our trust, let us continue to have shalom [peace] with God through our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. Also through him on the ground of our trust, we have gained access to this grace in which we stand; so let us boast about the hope of experiencing God's glory" (JNT).

Galatians 2:16: "...knowing as we do that a man is declared righteous, not due to works of law, but only through faith toward Christ Jesus, even we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, that we may be declared righteous due to faith toward Christ, and not due to works of law, because due to works of law no flesh will be declared righteous" (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures).

Galatians 3:24: "Consequently the Law has become our tutor leading to Christ, that we might be declared righteous due to faith" (ibid.).

Ephesians 1:13-14: "In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him [the Messiah], were sealed with the promised holy spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory" (RSV).

Philippians 3:9: "...and may be found in him, not clinging to that righteousness of mine own, which is from Law, but to that which is through the faith of Christ -- the righteousness from God on account of the faith..." (The Emphatic Diaglott).

There are a few Bible passages that, at first glance, seem to teach salvation through faith plus works. One such is James 2:24, which appears to say that justification is by faith plus works: “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” This apparent problem is solved by examining the whole of James’ argument in his epistle. James is refuting the idea that a person can have saving faith without producing any good works (see James 2:17--18). Genuine faith in the Messiah, James says, will produce a changed life and result in good works (James 2:20-26). James is not saying that justification is by faith plus works, but that a person who is truly justified by faith will have good works in his or her life. The works are an outward show of genuine faith in the Messiah (James 2:14, 17, 20, 26) -- and it’s that outward show that “justifies” the believer in the sight of other people.

Paul says those who have true faith in Yeshua the Messiah will be “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). To return to Ephesians 2, immediately after teaching that we are saved through faith, not through works (Ephesians 2:8-9), Paul says that we were created “to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10). Salvation comes by YEHOVAH God’s grace through faith, and that faith is made manifest in good works. The works follow the faith and are a proof of it.

If we’re going to say that we are saved by works, we must qualify whose works. We are not saved by our own works, however meritorious they are in our own eyes. We are saved solely by the work of the Messiah on our behalf. His death and his resurrection are the works that save us. We receive our Savior by faith (John 1:12).

The Meaning of "Gift"

The word "gift" is an important one in our understanding of salvation, and it is good that we understand its definition and implications.

In the New Testament, there are several Greek words translated “gift.” Some of these words are used in contexts other than YEHOVAH God’s gift of salvation, such as the reciprocal gift-giving of celebrants (Revelation 11:10), the things received from fathers (Matthew 7:11), offerings to a ministry (Philippians 4:17), and the gifts of the magi (Matthew 2:11).

However, when it comes to the matter of our salvation, the New Testament writers use different Greek words -- words that emphasize the gracious and absolutely free quality of the gift. Here are the two words most commonly used for the gift of salvation:

1) Dorea, meaning “a free gift.” This word lays particular stress on the gratuitous nature of the gift -- it is something given above and beyond what is expected or deserved. Every New Testament occurrence of this word is related to a spiritual gift from YEHOVAH God. It is what the Messiah offers to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:10). It is the “unspeakable [or indescribable] gift” in 2 Corinthians 9:15. This gracious gift is identified as the holy spirit in Acts 2:38; 8:20; and 11:17.

The adverb form of this word is dorean, translated “freely” in Matthew 10:8; 2 Corinthians 11:7; Revelation 21:6; 22:17. In Romans 3:24, immediately following YEHOVAH God’s pronouncement of our guilt, we have this use of dorean: “Being justified FREELY by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” The gift of salvation is free, and the motive for the gift is nothing more than the grace of the Giver.

2) Charisma, meaning “a gift of grace.” This word is used to define salvation in Romans 5:15-16. Also, in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT [charisma] of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This same word is used in conjunction with the gifts of the spirit received after salvation (Romans 12:6; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Peter 4:10).

Obviously, if something is a “gift of grace,” it cannot be earned. To work for something is to deserve it, and that would produce an obligation -- a gift of debt, as it were. That is why works destroy grace (Romans 4:1-5; 11:5-6).

When presenting salvation, the New Testament writers carefully chose words that emphasize grace and freedom. As a result, the Bible could not be more clear -- salvation is absolutely free, the true gift of YEHOVAH God in the Messiah, and our only responsibility is to receive the gift by faith (John 1:12; 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9).

How is salvation a gift? First, it cannot be earned. It is received by faith. Second, the result of salvation is wonderful -- eternal life! John 3:16 promises, "For God so loved the world [of Israel], that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Romans 6:23 adds, "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Many religious traditions claim you can have eternal life if you believe and do certain good deeds or works to help in the process. This is not the message the Messiah offers. While those who follow the Messiah will seek to live according to his ways, salvation is not based on anything we do, but is accepted by faith alone based on YEHOVAH God's grace. Apart from the Messiah we are eternally dead; we cannot save ourselves. But by YEHOVAH's grace, we can receive the gift of eternal life (John 10:10).

Ephesians 2:1-5, 8-9: "You used to be dead because of your sins and acts of disobedience. You walked in the ways of the 'olam hazeh [this world/age] and obeyed the Ruler of the Powers of the Air [Satan], who is still at work among the disobedient. Indeed, we all once lived this way -- we followed the passions of our old nature and obeyed the wishes of our old nature and our own thoughts. In our natural condition we were headed for God's wrath, just like everyone else.

"But God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, He brought us to life along with the Messiah -- it is by grace that you have been delivered...For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God's gift. You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast" (Jewish New Testament).

How do we come by this salvation? Acts 4:12;”Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” and John 14:6; “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”

There is only one way to salvation, and that is by placing faith in the Messiah who paid our sin debt. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved“ (Romans 10:9).

How can we know that He will raise us from the dead? Luke 24:4, 5, 6, 7: “Two men (angels) stood by them in shining garments: Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said unto them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, saying, "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”'"

The Messiah was raised from the dead and now sits on the right hand of YEHOVAH God the Father, promising all those of Israel who place their faith in him that his Father will save and will raise them up at the resurrections. This is the Messiah's promise, place your faith in him and he will save you and you will be with him in the soon-coming Kingdom of YEHOVAH God. This is a promise from the Messiah and he, like YEHOVAH God, cannot lie.

Salvation and the Book of Life

In Genesis 2:7, we find plainly stated: "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and [the Adamic] man became a living soul."

The most important thing to notice about this verse is that Adam in Genesis 2:7 received the "breath" of YEHOVAH God in his nostrils. Salvation requires that the individual believes YEHOVAH God and that belief is a function of the indwelling spirit, NOT of the natural flesh -- as the Messiah said to Nicodemus "what is spirit is spirit." Hence there was no point in the Messiah dying for people who do not already have the indwelling spirit and hence no ability to comprehend and believe the things of the spirit. Adam became the first spiritual man, but not the first biological man. In other words, YEHOVAH God took one man from the Genesis 1 creation and breathed into him the breath of life. “And man became a living soul” -- (Genesis 2:7). The word “became” is consistently used in a manner showing that the subject became something that it had not been before.

Philo the Jew understood the spiritual component of "the breath of life" when he wrote:

"But he [Moses] asserts that the formation of the individual man [Adam], perceptible by the external senses is a composition of earthy substance, and divine spirit. For that body [of Adam] was created by the Creator [YEHOVAH God] taking a lump of clay, and fashioning the human form out of it; but that the soul proceeds from NO created thing at all, but from the Father and Ruler of all things.

"For when he [Moses] uses the expression, 'He breathed into,' etc., he [Moses] means nothing else than the divine spirit proceeding from that happy and blessed nature [YEHOVAH God], sent to take up its habitation here on earth [in Adam and his descendants], for the advantage of our [Israelite] race, in order that, even if man is mortal according to that portion of him which is visible, he may at all events be [eventually] IMMORTAL according to that portion which is invisible; and for this reason, one may properly say that man is on the boundaries of a better and an immortal nature [after the resurrection], partaking of each as far as it is necessary for him; and that he [man -- descendants of Adam -- Israelites] was born at the same time, both mortal and immortal" (The Works of Philo, translated by C. D. Yonge. "On the Creation," XLVI (134-135)).

"Why does He [YEHOVAH God] do this, except that we may thus derive a proper notion [idea, belief] of Him? Since HOW could the soul have perceived God if He [YEHOVAH God] had not inspired it, and touched it according to His power? For human intellect would not have dared to mount up to such a height as to lay claim to the nature of God, if God Himself had not drawn it up to Himself, as far as was possible for the mind of man to be drawn up, and if He had not formed it according to those powers which can be comprehended" (ibid., "Allegorical Interpretation, I, XIII (37-38))

That's not what most people believe. But it is what the Bible SAYS! Further it says: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4). That is so important it is stated twice, for emphasis: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20).

The bottom line is that the Adamic race has a measure of YEHOVAH's spirit in its DNA from the very beginning, thus enabling them -- and especially those descended from Jacob/Israel -- to be able to perceive YEHOVAH's Truth when called upon by YEHOVAH God. While only a few are being called upon in this dispensation, to administer the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God during the Millennium, the vast majority of Israel will be in the Second Resurrection at the end of the Millennium. Even though a few of Israel's descendants are being called or drawn to YEHOVAH God at this time, the rest still have the measure of YEHOVAH's spirit that has set them apart from the rest of the races in that they have been able to take the Gospel to the world at large, even though that message became polluted over time.

Since those of Israel (and the Adamic line in general) have a measure of YEHOVAH spirit from the very beginning, they are obviously in YEHOVAH's Book of Life!

The Book of Life

In the pages of the Bible we find references to this "Book of Life" -- here are some examples:

Exodus 32:31-32: "Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, 'Oh these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin -- but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.'"

Psalm 139:16: "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them."

Daniel 12:1: "At that time Michael shall stand up' the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book."

Revelation 3:5: "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but will confess his name before my Father and before His angels."

Revelation 17:8: "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is."

The question is -- when is someone of Israel's name written into the Book of Life? Mainstream religion would say that this happens when a person "Gives his heart to Jesus," "Is converted," "Is born again," or some such phrase. But is this true? When were these names actually written into the Book of Life?

The Bible points out that there is ONE chosen race that is "special" -- a word that means being "a valued property." These had their genetic code written into the Book of Life "before the foundation of the earth"! (Ephesians 1:4). It is their responsibility to see that their names are not blotted out of the Book of Life! This confirms what the apostle Paul said about election being made before a person has done good or evil (Romans 9:11). The Bible does not record any progressive or later entries into the Book of Life! Eternal life is given to the redeemed of Israel out of those written in the Book, who are worthy.

The scriptures indicate two different things regarding an individual person and the Book of Life. On one hand, they indicate that every Israelite person who has ever existed begins life with his name in the Book of Life -- notice the following passages:

Exodus 32.33: "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book" (NKJV).

Deuteronomy 29.20: "The LORD would not spare him; for then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book would settle on him, and the LORD would blot out his name from under heaven" (NKJV).

Psalm 69.28: "Add that to their guilt; let them have no share of Your beneficence; may they be erased from the book of life, and not inscribed with the righteous" (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures).

Revelation 3.5: "He that conquers will thus be arrayed in white outer garments; and I will by no means blot out his name from the book of life, but will make acknowledgment of his name before my Father and before his angels" (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures).

But on the other hand, two scriptures indicate that the names of individual non-Israelite people of the earth are not recorded:

Revelation 13.8: "And all who dwell on the earth will worship him [the beast power], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (NKJV).

Revelation 17.8: "The beast [Islam] that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition [destruction]. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is" (NKJV).

The important thing is to know is that those of us of Israel have our names in the Book of Life from birth -- from "the foundations of the world." All of our names are there. One can know that his name is in the Book of Life by trusting in the true gospel (1 Corinthians 15.1-4). Those who have chosen not to believe the gospel will stand before the Messiah with their works and their own righteousness to commend themselves to YEHOVAH God rather than on the Messiah’s work and his righteousness -- and risk having their names removed from the Book of Life.

The Gospel is addressed to Israelites and is about Israelites. It is to those whose names were written in the “Book of Life” and written there “before the foundation of the earth”. This is to whom the Gospel is addressed alone. The disciples were told to go to “all nations” where Israelites had been “scattered.” The message to these Israelites that were found within, but not “of” other races, is “Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17).

The Messiah said to his disciples, “But rather rejoice, because your names are written [in the Book of Life] in heaven” (Luke 10:20). The Messiah had not paid the price at that time! Each of these Israelite disciples’ names was ALREADY “written” in the Book!! They did not write them in themselves, or do anything by themselves to have their names written in, because the grammatical "voice" of this statement is passive. Where were the names written? They were already written in heaven in YEHOVAH God’s Book. WHEN were their names written? Again, it was, “before the foundation of the world.”

The basis of being found written in the Book is a matter of genetic election, “according to the foreknowledge of God” (1 Peter 1:2). The one pure genetic code, or set of racial genes, is that which is written in the Book of Life -- and it is the racial genes of Israel. Israelites are free to use or not to use the spirit that YEHOVAH God has placed in them from conception via the DNA code!

Since we already have a measure of YEHOVAH's spirit within us from the time of Adam; and since we of Israel have been in YEHOVAH's Book of Life since the beginning, there is obviously nothing extra we can physically do to receive salvation -- such as water baptism, speaking in tongues, etc. Salvation is a free gift of YEHOVAH God, but we must receive it His way and not our way.

The Wages of Sin

It was by the sin of Adam and Eve that eternal death entered into the world and whereby we all became sinners. We do not see sin in the same light that YEHOVAH God does, for He sees the horrible suffering and death that it has caused; He sees the reality of what sin is and what it does. For a moment let’s reflect on the consequences of Sin.

Go to a graveyard and there is the result of sin! Sin produces wages. We can compare sin to a forty hour work week. For putting in these forty hours we receive wages which we use to pay our bills, and to have some extra for the frills of life. In the same way we receive wages for sin. Not just the sins which we commit, but the imputation of sin (our old sinful nature) from our original parents, Adam and Eve.

Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death” and scripture tells us in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” If we look at our lives we can easily see that we are sinful creatures. Daily we all struggle with anger, pride, hate, evil thoughts, jealousy, honesty or some other qualities that are not acceptable. Sin actually means missing the mark. We miss the mark of the righteousness of YEHOVAH God and we can do nothing in ourselves to have that righteousness, whether it be from not having a desire to be as righteous as YEHOVAH God or the simple fact that we cannot, on our own, gain that righteousness.

Physical death is not the only wage of sin. Drug addiction, murders, lying, hatred, rebellion, broken marriages and all the heartache which sin brings into the world are not the worst of these wages. The most horrifying is the one which we cannot see, spiritual death. It is separation from YEHOVAH God, who created us and all the planets and stars. He holds everything together by His limitless power. But the worst wage of sin beyond all others is that we will be eternally separated from YEHOVAH God in death.

Sin came into the world and we are all sinners, all enemies to YEHOVAH God. Since no sin or unrighteousness can stand in the presence of YEHOVAH God, and YEHOVAH cannot abide sin, those who have not attained the righteousness of YEHOVAH God when they physically die will have only one place in which to spend eternity -- death, which is the cessation of all knowledge and understanding. It would be as if they had never existed.

But there is a way to escape:

Romans 5:8-9: "But God recommends His own love to us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, therefore, since we have been declared righteous now by his blood, shall we be saved through him from [YEHOVAH's] wrath" (The Kingdom Interlinear Translation).

Sin came into the world by one man Adam, “Therefore as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation…” (Romans 5:17). Sin came into the world by one man, but righteousness comes by Yeshua the Messiah to all who place their faith in him. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world [of Israel]” (John 1:29).

How did the Messiah take away the sins of Israel? “For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10), and Romans 8:32: “God spared not His own Son but delivered him up for us all….” The Messiah freely shed his perfect holy, righteous blood on the tree at Golgotha, and in so doing paid the sin debt for all of YEHOVAH's people Israel. His blood paid the price for us all.

Hebrews 10:4, 14: "For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins....For by a single offering he [the Messiah] has brought to the goal for all time those who are being set apart for God [those of Israel] and made holy" (Jewish New Testament).

II Corinthians 5:21: “God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God's righteousness” (ibid.).

Romans 5:15-17: “But the free gift [charisma] is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's [Adam's] trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift [dorea] in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the effect of that one man's [Adam's] sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift [charisma] following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift [dorea] of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ" (RSV).

The Doorway to Salvation

The Messiah shed his blood on the tree and paid for the sins of Israel so that you and I would not have to spend eternity in death, separated from our Kinsman the Messiah who died for us and paid our sin debt -- paid the penalty we owed. But how do we obtain this righteousness?

John 3:16: "For God so loved the world [of Israel] that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (NKJV).

I John 2:1-3: “My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our only but also for the whole world [of Israel]. Now by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (ibid.).

How do we come by this salvation?

Acts 4:12: ”And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (RSV).

John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me” (KJV).

There is only one way to salvation, and that is by placing faith in the free gift of the Messiah who paid our sin debt.

Acts 16:30-31: “And he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' So they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household'” (NJKV).

Romans 10:9-11: “...if you acknowledge publicly with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord and trust in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be delivered. For with the heart one goes on trusting and thus continues toward righteousness, while with the mouth one keeps on making public acknowledgment and thus continues toward deliverance. For the passage quoted says that everyone [of Israel] who rests his trust on him will not be humiliated” (Jewish New Testament).

Remember the definition of "free gift" (Greek: dorea) in the earlier part of this article: "This word lays particular stress on the gratuitous nature of the gift -- it is something given above and beyond what is expected or deserved. Every New Testament occurrence of this word is related to a spiritual gift from YEHOVAH God." "The adverb form of this word is dorean...immediately following YEHOVAH God’s pronouncement of our guilt, we have this use of dorean: “Being justified FREELY by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” The gift of salvation is free, and the motive for the gift is nothing more than the grace of the Giver.

There is absolutely nothing we have to do of ourselves -- whether it be baptism, speaking in tongues, tithing, receiving Mass, going to confession, etc. When the Greek word "charisma" is used, as in Romans 5:15-16 and in Romans 6:23, the meaning of the word is a "gift of grace." Obviously, if something is a "gift of grace" it cannot be earned. To work for something is to deserve it, and that would produce an obligation -- a gift of debt, as it were. That is why works -- such as baptism -- destroy grace. Notice Romans 4:1-5 and Romans 11:5-6:

Romans 4:1-5: "What then shall we say about Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.' Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due. And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the godly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness" (RSV).

Romans 11:5-6: "So too at the present time there is a remnant [of Israel], chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace" (RSV).

Those who present a plan of salvation based on your performance are not rightly dividing the Word of YEHOVAH God. As a matter of fact, if anyone presents a salvation that is based on what the Messiah did plus what they do, it is a false gospel. Yes, many Scriptures give instruction on what we are to do. But they are instructions for how to live, not how to be saved and enter the family of YEHOVAH God by attaining eternal life.

Will there be rewards and consequences for our actions? Yes! Scripture makes that clear. But our entrance into YEHOVAH’s family and eternal life is not based on our performance, but on our faith in who the Messiah is and what he did according to his gospel. I pray this finds you with a faith that is solely in Yeshua the Messiah and the Creator God.