THE world is full of people without a Bible knowledge of the plan of salvation. Some one has said: ''Every man is born into this world a believer in salvation by works; but when born again every man believes in salvation by grace.'' There is no better short passage in the whole Bible than Eph. 2:8-10 to make clear the relation between salvation and good works. These three verses contain three important statements. First of all

Salvation is not of works (v. 9). Human systems had taught that salvation is of man. The religions of the earth had devised an earthly salvation. They had been told that heaven would be given them as a reward. They had fixed the price. But the religion of Jesus Christ taught that salvation was not of works, — ''Not of works lest any man should boast." "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and' renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5). "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which has given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Tim. 1:9). "I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal. 2:21).

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20).

Good works have absolutely nothing to do with the salvation of the sinner. And he who preaches salvation by works wholly or in part robs God of his glory and the sinner of his hope.

'^But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness'' (Rom. 4:5). There is one greatly misunderstood passage that we must study before leaving this point: Phil. 2:12, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Note first of all that this passage is addressed to saved people and not to the unconverted. See Phil. 1:1,2,6; 2:12-13. Notice it is not ''work for your salvation," but "work out your own salvation." This is not addressed to the man who is trying to buy his way to heaven by his good works, but to the man who already has a title to heaven. We are to work out our salvation on the same principle that the farmer plows the grass and weeds out of his corn. No man can work out his own corn until he has corn to work out, and no man can work out salvation until. he has received it as God's gracious gift. Let it be remembered that Phil. 2:12-13 is addressed to saved people and when God says to a saved man, "Word out your own salvation," He simply means "add," "grow," "be strong," "go on to perfection," — "Work out your own salvation" — yes, work it out to its uttermost results, out to its splendid fulfillment, out to its glorious consummation. If a sinner is not saved by good works then how is he saved?

Salvation is the gracious gift of God through faith in Christ Jesus. "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God'' (Eph. 2:8).

Salvation is a gift. ''And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (I Jno. 5:11-12). ''For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord'' (Rom. 6:23). "And I give unto them eternal life" (John 10:28). "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the Father sealed" (John 6:27). A gift is to be received, not purchased. "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12). "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36). "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26). "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). If Christ does not do all the saving, then the song of the saved is not,

"Jesus paid it all,
     All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
     He washed it white as snow."

but rather,

Jesus paid a part,
     And I apart, you know.
Sin had left a little stain,
     We washed it white as snow.

You cannot hang your hopes on two hooks at once. "Nothing on self; everything on Christ," must be our motto. Some years ago a man was in Niagara in a drowning condition. Friends threw a rope to him, but just then a huge log came floating by and the drowning man turns from the rope and takes hold on the log and both go over the falls and the man is lost. So often with the convicted sinner, he turns from the life-line that God throws to him and rests on the log of good works.

We pity the poor heathen who puts his faith in a stick or a stone. We compassionately smile at the Romanist who counts his beads and bows before candles. But what better is the man who half superstitiously idolizes the altar, and the anxious seat, baptism and the Lord's Supper.

''One drop of the poison of man's works let fall into the vessel of God's grace deprives grace of its character."

''And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work" (Rom. 11:6). One thing and one thing only is essential to salvation — faith in the Christ who died as our substitute on the cross. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14-15). He that looked upon that brazen serpent in the wilderness was healed; to refuse to look was to die. So Christ has been lifted up as a sacrifice for sin and he who turns from his own sins and from all hope of salvation through good works, and, trusts the whole matter of his salvation to Christ is saved here and now from the guilt, power and penalty of sin. "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world'' (Gal. 6:14).

"Grace all the work shall crown,
     Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
     And well deserves the praise."

Good works are the result and the evidence of salvation. ''For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them'' (v. 10).

Right here let it be said that there is no conflict between Paul and James on the doctrine of salvation and good works. One fact will keep us out of confusion. Paul in Romans and Galatians is writing to show how a sinner is justified before God by faith, James is writing to show how a believer is justified before men by works. That faith that does not produce good works is a spurious faith. The man who is saved by grace will live a new life. ''We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works." An apple tree bears apples because it is an apple tree, tire Christian works because he is saved. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.

Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:11-14). The Bible motive to good works is love to Christ because one has been saved by grace.

"But," says one, ''I will not take heaven for naught." But, my friend, you will accept life gratis or not at all. God is a great giver, and his unspeakable gift is to be had for the taking. ''Long as I live Fll still be crying, mercy's free!''

It is true that faith and good works are insparably joined together; so inseparably that good works are possible to him alone who lives by faith upon the Son of God. He who accepts Christ as his Savior is bound to serve him by the constraint of love.

I would not work my soul to save,
     For that my Lord hath done;
But I will work like any slave
     For love of God's dear Son.

At the close of a Bible study on this subject a lady came forward greatly agitated. She said, ''Sir, I have just one question to ask you.'' I said, "Proceed." "Well, if keeping the commandments does not save us what is the use to keep any of them?" She had me in a tight place, didn't she? I said, "Sister, I will answer your question with a question. If obeying your mother does not make you your mother's daughter, then what is the use for you to obey your mother at all?" Then I had her in a tight place, didn't I? She burst into laughter, and said: "I see it! I see it! I see the truth for the first time. I obey my mother because I am her daughter, and from this time on I am going to obey Jesus Christ from love because I am his child, because He has saved