What is the path to Heaven? If you're a good person and do nice things for people? Is it a ritual like baptism, confirmation, circumcism, bathing in the river Ganges, killing unbelievers, confession, sacraments, feeding the poor, communion, bar mitzvah, saying Hare Krishna a whole lot of times, meditation?
The Bible tells us that none of those things is what brings salvation. Romans 4 says, "What, then, are we to say about Abraham, our human ancestor? 2 For if Abraham was justified by actions, he would have had something to boast about—though not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4 Now to someone who works, wages are not considered a gift but an obligation. 5 However, to someone who does not work, but simply believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. "
All those things listed above are men's works. Men's works do not lead to salvation. Salvation is a gift from God in response to our faith in Him.
Just think if your loved one saved up money, bought you a wonderful gift, wrapped it and presented it to you. You are handed the gift, so you pull out your wallet to pay for it. How do you think your loved one would feel about that? A gift is free. Wages for your work are something owed to you.
The deal that most people miss is the reason mankind was created: to glorify God. If we work for our salvation, we get the glory. If God presents it to us as a gift, God gets all the glory, as He deserves.
