Daniel: Salvation By Grace Not Works

Natural man thinks that he is powerful, so powerful that he can justify himself before God. However, salvation is by God’s Grace alone, not at all by any meritorious works of any man in any way.

In the book of Daniel we are shown that all man’s works and kingdoms (the trappings he builds up around himself in honor of himself) are worthless, powerless, vain, and devoid of value - they are annihilated by Christ. Christ is the powerful “stone [that] was cut out without hands”. He overwhelms / smashes all of man’s works, destroys them so completely that they effectively float away like chaff on the wind. Man’s works are meaningless. Christ’s salvation does not require and does not use any of man’s works. Christ performs all of salvation; man has no part in it, man’s hands do not touch it, do not contribute to it. Christ is the “great mountain” that fills the whole earth. He is preeminent in all ways over all things; he is in complete control - not man.

Dan 2:34-35 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

God’s elect ask to receive his Grace on the basis of his Sovereign Mercy, not on the basis of their works, not on the basis of any self-righteousness, not on the basis of any of their merit.

Dan 9:18 O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.

By Ray Bennetts