And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him.
Salvation, which is redemption from our sins, which separate us from God, is guaranteed to no one. We must each qualify for it. Qualifying is not the same as earning. We do not buy salvation with good works, for no good work can negate the guilt of sin. Only Christ's atonement can wash away sin, and he will wash us freely, without charge or price. We must nevertheless qualify. We must accept the gift of our own free will, which acceptance we demonstrate through faith or faithfulness. Now, faithfulness leads to obedience, and so it may appear that salvation is a reward for good works. But faith, as evidenced in our willingness to accept and follow God's will, is the real qualification. Faith in Christ testifies to us from whom salvation truly comes. Faith pleases God because it puts us in proper relationship to him.
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