For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2: 8-9 (ESV)
Our works can never be good enough to earn salvation. It is only through God’s mercy and grace that we can be saved – through accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and putting our faith and hope in him. Then we will want to show this grace to others and share the great news of salvation.
Our pride sometimes leads us to believe that we can “earn” our way to heaven because we are good enough and smart enough. We are surely better than others. But none of this matters if we have not asked Jesus into our hearts and given our life to him.
Then when we do accept this free gift of salvation, we will want to do good works. These good works will not only help meet the physical needs of others but will also carry a message of hope and peace to those in need by sharing the gospel of Christ. This message will help sustain people through the hurt and pain of life even when physical help falls short. It is a decision with eternal consequences.
The world is in need of those that do “good works”. But more importantly, this world is in need of a Savoir that sustains them through the trials of each day. Sharing this message while also reaching out to meet the physical and emotional needs of others is what makes the eternal difference.