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Not by Works
The story is told of a nobleman who was so convicted of his sinful life that he determined to become a monk. After making inquiry he was directed to seek admission to a certain monastery 1,500 miles away, where the penance was severe and the discipline exceedingly strict.
Under the scorching sun he made the journey on foot and came at last to the monastery. He rang the bell and an aged monk, bent with the weight of years, opened the gate. Learning his business the monk admitted him to shelter for the night.
In the morning the nobleman told the old monk his story and received the following counsel: “If you want to be saved, you have come to the wrong place. Christ has finished the work, and there is nothing left for you to do.”
The young nobleman believed the old man’s message, and returned home, a sinner saved by grace alone.
Salvation has nothing to do with what we can produce or work for. The Bible clearly states, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).
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