What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Relationship of Grace and Works in Ephesians 2:8-10"
Answer
Salvation is accomplished solely by God's unmerited grace and is received through faith, not by one's own efforts or works. However, good works are the necessary result and fruit of a living faith, since we have been created in Christ Jesus to walk in them.
Although works can never be the basis for our justification, they are evidence of our union with Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. God has prepared these good works in advance so that they become visible expressions of our gratitude and obedience.
God's Gift and Good Works as the Goal
»“We do not work for eternal life. No works we could do would even constitute the smallest part of the payment for it. It is God's gift. Though it comes only through righteousness, righteousness is a gift. ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves: it is the gift of God, not from works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.’ ... When people sin, God gives them only what they have bargained for. But if someone offers themselves as a servant of righteousness, He provides righteousness for them and thereby gives them eternal life, all as a free gift.”«
Good Works as the Fruit of Faith
»“Are good works of no real value? ... Scripture answers: ‘We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.’ In His divine order, through His unmerited grace, the Lord has ordained that good works should be rewarded. We are accepted solely through Christ's merit; and the acts of mercy, the acts of love that we perform are the fruit of faith... It is the fragrance of Christ's merit that makes our good works acceptable to God, and it is grace that enables us to do the works for which He rewards us.”«
The Indispensability of Works Despite Salvation by Grace
»“While good works will not save a single soul, it is nevertheless impossible for even one soul to be saved without good works. God saves us under a law that we must ask if we want to receive, seek if we want to find, and knock if we want the door to be opened to us.”«
Faith Without Works Is Presumption
»“The so‑called faith in Christ that pretends to release people from the obligation to obey God is not faith but presumption. ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith.’ But ‘faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.’«
- Difference between justification and sanctification
- Meaning of obedience as the fruit of faith
- Cooperation of divine grace and human participation
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
