The Greatest Misconception About Salvation That Many Still Believe

Meritocracy is not a criterion that God considers. No person can question the circumstances of life based solely on their social conduct, such as not stealing, not killing, or avoiding actions that directly violate God's Law. Acting rightly is, without a doubt, praiseworthy, but trying to bargain with the Creator based on our own works is an unfounded justification.

The Bible teaches us: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and also "All our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). If the righteousness of our actions were enough to save us, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross would not have been necessary. However, Christ came as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

True righteousness comes through repentance from dead works and is testified by faith in Jesus Christ. It is this faith that delivers us from condemnation, as Scripture teaches: "The righteous shall live by faith" (Galatians 3:11). Therefore, we must abandon all sense of self-glory, any attempt to bargain with God through our deeds, and all excessive vanity.

By fixing our eyes on Jesus, we attain the sanctification of our souls, which is the will of God. As it is written in the Book of Hebrews: "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).