Note 23 at Eph. 2:9: No one deserves salvation. It cannot be earned by what the Bible calls "dead works" (Heb. 6:1; 9:14). Dead works include all religious activities, good deeds, or charity that one may do as a means of being justified before God. Faith towards God and what He has done through Christ Jesus is the only means of receiving His free gift of salvation.

To trust in any human work or effort as a means of salvation is to fall from grace and to sever one's self from the Savior (Gal. 5:4). No one can be saved by the combination of grace and works, for they exclude each other (Rom. 11:6). You must be saved by grace through faith alone (see note 17 at v. 8, p. 1103) or your works must meet the standard of God's perfection set down by His holy law (Rom. 2:13). "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" (Rom. 3:28; see note 9 at Gal. 2:16, p. 1062).

Note 24 at Eph. 2:9: God has designed salvation in such a way as to eliminate any boasting from man. If salvation was by works either partially or wholly, then man could boast. But grace and faith eliminate man's boasting altogether (see note 11 at Rom. 3:27; p. 760). Salvation by grace brings praise and glory to God. If we could save ourselves, either partially or wholly, we would take the credit for it. But that is not the case. All the glory goes to God.