Scripture
Ephesians 2:8-9
Paul teaches salvation by grace through faith, not by works.
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
Grace excludes boasting
Paul grounds salvation in God’s grace and gift, which frames Christian answers to any system that makes final acceptance rest on human merit.
Where this passage comes up
- Families can be together forever through temple sealingThe Bible shares the hope of reunion with those we love, grounds it in Christ by grace, and records Jesus saying resurrection life goes beyond marriage.
- Islam gives assurance through deeds and mercyIslam grounds hope in mercy, but for ordinary believers it stops short of certainty. Christians ground assurance in what they believe God has already done in Jesus' death.
- The apostolic gospel is finalPaul and Jude describe the apostles' message as a trust to guard. So any later revelation can be tested by one question: does it preach the same gospel?