Do we contribute anything good to our own salvation?

TL;DR:

We contribute nothing to our own salvation; it is entirely God’s gift through faith in Jesus. Our good works cannot earn eternal life; we receive salvation by trusting Him alone.

The Bible makes it clear that we contribute nothing to our own salvation; it is entirely God’s gift. Human nature is inherently sinful, and righteousness must come from God alone. Salvation is given through faith in Jesus Christ, who paid the full price for our sins through His death and resurrection. We do not do anything to make salvation possible except trusting in Him. Jesus has done everything necessary, offering eternal life freely to all who believe.

from the old testament

Several Old Testament passages illustrate that we cannot contribute anything good to earn salvation; it is always God’s mercy and righteousness that saves. Abraham was counted righteous because of faith, not works, illustrating that God credits righteousness apart from human merit (Genesis 15:6).
In Psalm 51:5, David acknowledges that he was sinful from birth, showing that human nature is inherently corrupt and incapable of earning salvation.
Our righteous acts are described as “filthy rags” before God. Even our best deeds cannot make us acceptable to Him (Isaiah 64:6).
Each person is accountable for their own sin (Ezekiel 18:20). Righteousness must come from God, not human effort.

from the new testament

From the Bible's perspective, a person contributes nothing to his or her salvation. Salvation is a matter of faith that Jesus Christ is the resurrected Lord (Romans 10:9) and has nothing to do with works.
So, how can anyone be saved if we can do nothing to contribute to it or earn it? In John 3, a Jewish leader named Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to learn more about Jesus. Jesus told him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
When Nicodemus asked how a person could be born again, Jesus explained God did all the work: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). While salvation is a free gift from God, it must be received by believing in Jesus.
Our sin separates us from God (Romans 3:23). Yet God has offered eternal life to anyone who believes in Him (Acts 16:31).
For those who have believed in Jesus Christ by faith, you can have confidence of eternal life. First John 5:13 clearly teaches, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life."
John 6:37, 39-40 adds, "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.[…] And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." Jesus promised in John 10:27-28, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." Because salvation is fully dependent on God and we don’t contribute anything to making salvation possible except believing in Him; we can be secured in our salvation.

implications for today

From a human perspective, if a person could help earn his salvation, it would present two problems. First, he could be tempted to boast and brag about earning his way to heaven (Ephesians 2:9). Second, if good works were able to contribute to salvation, there would be no assurance of whether enough good works had been completed to earn entrance to heaven. He would constantly wonder whether he had done enough. Instead, we can rest in the biblical truth that salvation is provided as a free gift.

When you receive a gift, you do not expect to pay for it. You would not call the act of accepting the gift a contribution toward earning it. In the same way, salvation is given as a free gift. We must receive it in order to experience the blessings of this gift, but accepting God's gift does not mean we are working to earn it. Eternal life is a gift from God (Romans 6:23).

Scripture is clear that Jesus is the one who has contributed everything necessary for salvation. He has paid the price for our salvation on the cross and now offers eternal life freely to those who will believe in Him by faith.

understand

Salvation is entirely a gift from God and cannot be earned by human effort or good works.
Faith in Jesus Christ—believing in His life, death, and resurrection—is the only requirement for eternal life.
God has done all the work for salvation, and even faith itself is a gift.

reflect

How does knowing that you contribute nothing to your salvation affect your trust and confidence in God?
Where might you be tempted to rely on your own efforts instead of resting in Jesus’ work on the cross?
How can you cultivate a deeper sense of gratitude for salvation as a gift?

engage

How do biblical examples challenge our understanding of faith versus works?
How can we understand God’s role in salvation and our responsibility to accept it?
How can understanding salvation as entirely God’s work impact the way we live and serve others?