Topical Bible: Eternal Life: Cannot be Inherited by Works

Bible > Topical > Eternal Life

◄ Eternal Life: Cannot be Inherited by Works ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Eternal life, as presented in the Christian Scriptures, is a gift from God that cannot be earned or inherited through human effort or works. This concept is foundational to the Christian faith, emphasizing the grace and mercy of God as the sole means of salvation and eternal life.

Biblical Foundation

The New Testament is replete with passages that underscore the impossibility of earning eternal life through works. In Ephesians 2:8-9 , the Apostle Paul writes, "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." This passage clearly articulates that salvation and, by extension, eternal life, is a gift from God, not a result of human effort or merit.

Similarly, in Titus 3:5 , Paul reiterates, "He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." This verse highlights that it is God's mercy, not human righteousness, that brings about salvation and eternal life.

The Role of Faith

Faith is central to the Christian understanding of how eternal life is received. In John 3:16 , one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, Jesus declares, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Belief in Jesus Christ is presented as the key to receiving eternal life, underscoring the necessity of faith over works.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this in Romans 4:4-5 , where he contrasts works and faith: "Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness." Here, Paul emphasizes that righteousness, which leads to eternal life, is credited through faith, not through works.

Jesus' Teachings

Jesus Himself addressed the issue of works and eternal life in His teachings. In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14), Jesus illustrates that self-righteousness and reliance on one's own works are insufficient for justification before God. The tax collector, who humbly acknowledges his sinfulness and seeks God's mercy, is justified rather than the Pharisee, who boasts of his works.

Moreover, in John 6:28-29 , when asked by the crowd, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus responds, "The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent." This response shifts the focus from human works to faith in Christ as the means of obtaining eternal life.

The Insufficiency of the Law

The New Testament also addresses the insufficiency of the Mosaic Law in granting eternal life. In Galatians 2:16 , Paul asserts, "We know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." The law, while holy and good, serves to reveal sin rather than provide a means to eternal life.

Conclusion

The consistent message throughout the New Testament is that eternal life is a gift of God's grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ, and not something that can be earned or inherited through human works. This doctrine underscores the transformative power of faith and the necessity of reliance on God's mercy for salvation.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 2:7
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 3:10-19
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Second Sunday after Trinity Exhortation to Brotherly Love.
... for it is compelled to act according to the nature inherited from its ... devoid of
brotherly love are in God's sight murderers and cannot have eternal life. ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/second sunday after trinity exhortation.htm

The Gateway into the Kingdom.
... by any neglect of my health; I inherited it, let us ... I cannot believe that I can get
well in a ... Israelite""Look and live!" And there is eternal life for every ...
/.../moody/the way to god and how to find it/chapter ii the gateway into.htm

Eighth Sunday after Trinity Living in the Spirit as God's Children ...
... would gladly be released but cannot liberate themselves ... uncleanness, but everything
man has inherited by his ... and his daughters, called to eternal life and glory ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/eighth sunday after trinity living.htm

Sixth Sunday after Trinity Exhortation to Christian Living.
... and sadness and tribulation to perfect eternal joy. ... clothed with the obedience, joy
and life which the ... trouble is that the stupid flesh cannot understand this. ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/sixth sunday after trinity exhortation.htm

John iii. 17
... the beginning, and who have inherited true religion ... on the Dispensation and on eternal
life, addressing each ... Christ toucheth him, saying, "It cannot be that he ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxviii john iii 17.htm

Praying Without Doubting
... We cannot doubt God's willingness to impart to His praying ... day by day to surmount
our difficulties in life. ... we journey toward fadeless dawn of the eternal day. ...
/.../anderson/prayer availeth much/chapter 5 praying without doubting.htm

Preliminary Definition of the Subject
... When he has divested himself of the inherited nature, what is left? ... if the historical
has no dogmatic content, it cannot be essential to eternal life. ...
/.../the atonement and the modern mind/chapter i preliminary definition of.htm

The Atonement and the Modern Mind
... When he has divested himself of the inherited nature, what is left? ... if the historical
has no dogmatic content, it cannot be essential to eternal life. ...
/.../denney/the death of christ/chapter 7 the atonement and.htm

The Replacement of the Fallen Angels by Elect Men (28-30); the ...
... promised deliverance and a place in the eternal Kingdom be ... is then no longer alive
and cannot resuscitate himself after he has destroyed his own life"so also ...
/.../augustine/handbook on faith hope and love/chapter ix the replacement of.htm

Jacob Boehme's "Way of Salvation"
... innermost Quiet""the return to "the soul's eternal native country ... a child that is
hovering between life and death ... and the danger is over!" one cannot describe ...
/.../chapter xi jacob boehmes way.htm