Salvation Is By Grace
Ephesians 2:8–9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Always Keep This in Mind
- We are saved by grace through faith—not by works.
(Ephesians 2:8–9) - Faith and belief are related but not identical.
Many confuse them because they appear interchangeable, but faith is active—it moves us to obedience. - Salvation produces works.
- Ephesians 2:10
Defining Faith: The Book of James tells us faith without works is dead…
Faith Defined
- Faith is belief with work clothes on.
True belief moves us to action. It’s not passive—it obeys. - Through true belief, we realize we have work to do.
That work is obeying the commands of Christ.
These works do not save us, but they complete us—equipping us for every good work.
Understanding Faith, Belief, and Grace
- When we read “saved by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8–9), it tells us two things:
-
- Belief comes first, but belief alone is not faith.
- Faith is belief with works added—obedience to Christ’s commands.
- In the final analysis:
Faith is the result of belief + obedience, and it becomes the conduit to receiving the gift of grace.
Recognizing a Pattern
Scripture often reveals truth through combinations—two elements working together to create completeness.
- Genesis 2:7
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
Man is the result of body + spirit.
Faith Works the Same Way
- Faith = Belief + Works
- Belief is the body of faith—the foundation.
- Works is the spirit of faith—the energy that animates it.
- Revelation 14 confirms that our works return to God with the spirit, showing that works are the energy of faith.
Spirit refers to energy—works give faith its life and power.
Key Thought:
Faith without works is dead because it lacks the “spirit” that energizes it. Works do not save us, but they complete faith and make it alive.
- But remember:
It is not faith that saves us—salvation comes only from the grace of God, and grace is the work of the cross.
Meaning of Revelation 14:13
- “Rest from their labors” signifies that those who die “in the Lord” cease all earthly toil and suffering. [biblerepository.com], [bibleapps.com]
- Their “works … follow them” indicates that their faithful deeds—acts of obedience, kindness, and service—continue to accompany them beyond death, attesting to their faithful life. [biblerepository.com], [bibleapps.com]
This underscores the Biblical truth that a life surrendered to Christ matters eternally: even after death, these works remain part of their testimony before God. [bibleapps.com], [revbible.com]
🏛 Old Testament Allusion: Sabbath and Rest
The concept of divine “rest” has deep roots in the Old Testament:
- Genesis 2:2–3:
After six days of creation, God rested on the seventh. This established the Sabbath as a pattern for rest from labor. [biblehub.com] - Exodus 20:8–10:
God commands His people to rest on the Sabbath—ceasing from work. [biblehub.com] - This theme of rest becomes prophetic:
Hebrews 4:9–10 refers to a “Sabbath rest” that awaits God’s people, who cease from labor as He did from His. [biblegateway.com], [bibleanalysis.org]
In Revelation 14:13, the “rest” refers not just to physical non-work but to a restful state in God’s presence, freed from earthly hardship—echoing Sabbath rest’s pattern and pointing to eternal renewal.
✨ Summary
- Yes, Revelation 14:13 affirms that the works we do—specifically, obedient acts of faith—“follow” our spirit at death.
- This is rooted in creation imagery and Sabbath rest, foreshadowed in Genesis, Exodus, and elaborated in Hebrews.
- Together, they depict believers entering into divinely promised rest, while their deeds continue to bear witness in eternity.