There are only two formulas for salvation.: Jesus Christ + Something or Jesus Christ + Nothing. Those who teach the doctrine of “Jesus Christ + Something” always fail to tell us just how many good deeds and how many good works it takes to convince ourselves and God that we are truly saved, even though John the Apostle says we can know we are saved. I admit, I cannot save myself, neither can I keep myself.
How many on this site has obeyed the commandments of Christ? An honest answer is that none of you have kept his commandments. and you never will. All of you, including myself, are so far from God’s righteousness that you can never reach his holiness on your own, only by grace. You cannot add anything to His grace. If I can do any of it on my own, then what good is His work on the cross?
That does not mean I have a license to sin, or that I should not strive to be like Him. It means salvation is by His grace, and other than my faith in Him, I have no right to make any claim on his gift to me. When I get to Heaven, and I assure you I am going, the first thought on my mind will be, “Jesus got me here, and there was nothing I ever did on my own to deserve it. Thank you Jesus!”