THE BASIS FOR SALVATION: JESUS VS WORKS

 Since the bible is crystal clear on the wickedness of humanity, how do many of us still believe that we are 'good' people? There is only one way, and that's by human-created subjective morality. In our fallen world, it is very easy to create an artificial sense of self-righteousness, obtained by compairing oneself with murderers, child molesters, rapists, etc. Using human standards, it's easy to be feel good about ourselves.

 However, when we shift the standard to God's objective morality, delusions of grandeur dissipate like a bubble from a child's wand. God's standard is 100% moral perfection. He doesn't grade on a curve, and heaven isn't a place where entry is earned by coming in under a particular lifetime sin percentage. God detests sin, and the bible says that He hates all workers of iniquity: [Psa 5:4  For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. Psa 5:5  The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.]. 

So the whole point of the bible revealing to us all the myriad ways we don't measure up, is to realize that we have no chance of escaping the torment of eternal damnation by our own efforts. When it comes to salvation, works and grace are an either/or proposition. As an example:

If a person attends a movie and the ticket cost is $15, but the person accompanying him pays .01 of the ticket, did the person truly buy his own ticket? He did not. Sure, he paid for the vast majority of it, but not all of it, and the contributor can truthfully claim to be a co-purchaser. When it comes to salvation, if one believes that her works contribute in any way to those of Jesus on the cross, she is mistaken, as God shares His glory with none: [Isa 42:8  I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another...]. 

When Jesus came to this earth to make the ultimate sacrifice for sin, it wasn't meant to be a cooperative effort. In fact, during His last moments on the cross, Jesus said the following: [Joh 19:30  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (emphasis is mine.)]. There is nothing at all that you can add to His paid-in-full gift with eternal dividends. And if we insist on adding our own works to those of Christ's, we are no longer under grace, but the law.  Jesus either paid for 100% of our sins, or He didn't. And if He didn't, we are in deep, deep trouble!

Lastly, the crucifixion and blood sacrifice of Jesus was not something God came up with in the spur of the moment, to counteract the unexpected fall of Adam. If so, that would make God reactive, rather than proactive. Despite external appearances to the contrary at times, the omniscient, omnipotent God of the bible is in control of all things, and His will is always accomplished: [Isa 46:10  Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.].

Such was the case with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to save us from eternal damnation. He is the only one capable of paying the price which God demands: absolute sinlessness and moral perfection. Adam brought about original sin, while Christ conquered death and brought about salvation: [Rom 5:19  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.] 

Praise God that He was so generous in sparing us from the wages of our sins and the horrors of eternal damnation, through the foreordained sacrifice of the Holy Lamb! [1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (emphasis is mine.)].