“Because you are saved by grace through faith—and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God—and not of works, lest any man should boast,” reads Ephesians 2:8–9.
We can state right away that salvation is a gift from God to everyone who believes in Him, confesses their sins, and seeks for His forgiveness. We cannot earn salvation by whatever we do. After that, He adopts us into His family. “What now?” is the question we should ask ourselves when we are saved. What does God want of me if I am unable to earn my salvation?
Transformed to do good works
After we become Christians, God wants to “transform us into the image of His Son” for each and every one of us (Romans 8:29 and 2 Corinthians 3:18). This metamorphosis is not possible in a vacuum. God’s transformation of us from the inside out will become evident in our external life. James 2 provides some clarification on this, as he addresses people who profess to have faith yet don’t seem to have any solid proof of it. “I will show you my faith by my works. Faith apart from works is dead,” he says, summarizing his lengthy response. James 2:18, 26.
Good works through the work of Christ
A Christian’s good deeds are evidence of Christ at work in him and serve as a testimony to others around him. Matthew 5:16 states, “They will see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.” People of different faiths frequently perform nice deeds in the hopes of making merit and being able to enter paradise as a result of their good deeds.
Good deeds as an outward sign of the work in our lives
It is evident that a Christian should carry out good deeds and work as an external representation of the work that Christ has done in our lives, rather than to win God’s favor or by human effort. He is transforming us so that we increasingly resemble Christ, and [the Holy Spirit is used to do this].
