Ecclesiastes: Salvation Is By Grace Not Works

The only way to be saved from punishment under God’s wrath is through the gift of God’s Free Sovereign Grace. No one can save themselves through their own meritorious works. The word Grace means “to receive something un-deserved”. No one deserves salvation. Salvation is a gift from God, not compensation, and not a reward. God’s elect have been enabled to see their total corruption and Christ’s perfect righteousness. Their offering to God is Christ’s soul not their own works. They have been given knowledge of Christ, they know their only hope is to trust in his imputed righteousness rather than their own. They rest confidently in the work Christ has done to reconcile them with God. Knowledge of Christ (the poor man) delivers all of God’s elect from eternal suffering under God’s wrath.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 2:26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes 9:13-16 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

By Ray Bennetts