It is quite accurately said that if you don't understand that salvation comes solely as a gift (grace) from God and is received through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, then you are missing the fundamental truth of the Christian gospel.
However, while salvation is indeed a free gift of grace received through faith, that doesn't mean the recipient is passive or uninvolved. True faith is active, not merely intellectual agreement — it transforms a person’s heart, priorities, and actions.
Jesus expressed this as John recorded in John 8. Jesus told those with faith in him, who received his message that God, his Father, sent him, the Son, as true light into the world, that they must become his disciples by holding to his teachings so that, by the truth, he would save them from their sins.
So, in summary, while we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, that faith is not passive. In John 8:31–32, Jesus told those who believed in Him:
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
This shows that true faith leads to discipleship — a life of following Jesus, holding to His word, and being transformed by His truth. Salvation is a gift, but it calls us to respond with obedience and a changed life. Faith that doesn’t follow is not the faith Jesus described.
