Saved FOR Good Works

In spite of our efforts to the contrary, the Bible makes the point -- often -- that our salvation in Christ cannot be bought by good works. We can't earn justification in the sight of God. This is made explicit in Ephesians 2:8-9:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

However, because it is apparently human nature to take things too far, once we do finally get the point that we can't earn salvation, we can often take it to the other extreme and do... nothing.  

In fact, this very issue was addressed in James 2:14-18:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

I had a pastor who liked to say we were not saved by good works, but we were saved for good works. We weren't given this gift so we could sit back and do nothing about it. We were given it so we could then go out and tell others. So that we could show the world the love of God our father. 

In some religions, people struggle and work to prove themselves worthy, and to earn some sort of reprieve from the consequences of falling short. We who are in Christ know we can never earn our way to Heaven. Instead, in gratitude, but knowing we can never repay, we work to do for others some small portion of what was done for us.

Our deeds don't save us; they show the world we are saved.