When we sin, we separate ourselves from God. "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." {Isaiah 59:2} We, ourselves, cannot correct this situation. It is the gift of grace from a merciful God that saves us. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." {Ephesians 2:8-9} We are so thankful that God loved us enough to send His only Son to be the sacrifice that washes away our sins. Without the sacrifice of Jesus, we would never again be able to enjoy freedom from sin.
Many people read "not of works" in the verse above and get the idea that we can do nothing at all. I heard a denominational preacher say that grace is a gift from God and that anything we do to try to earn salvation nullifies grace. Certainly, grace is a gift from God. And I agree that we cannot "earn" our salvation. But that does not mean that we should do nothing at all. Sometimes, we say that a gift comes "with strings attached." By that we mean that the gift will not be given, or that it will be taken back, if certain conditions are not met. That is exactly how it is with the gift of grace. God freely offers us something we do not deserve. But He has also specified conditions. If we do not meet God's conditions, He will not give the gift. To see how this works, we will examine some other examples of Bible gifts to which conditions were attached.
As the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, they complained to God that they were dying of hunger. So God gave them food. "...This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat." {Exodus 16:15} But the next verse tells us that the Israelites had to gather it each morning. And verse 19 tells us they were forbidden to gather more than they could eat in a day. Some of the people gathered too much and "it bred worms, and stank" {Exodus 16:20} The people did not comply with the conditions attached to the gift, and the gift was made useless.
As the children of Israel traveled toward the promised land, they asked King Sihon for permission to travel through his land. When he refused, God told them "Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the river Arnon: behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land: begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle." {Deut. 2:24} God gave them the land, but He commanded them to "contend with him in battle." Fighting did not nullify the gift. They merely complied with the accompanying conditions. Since they obeyed God's commands, they received the promised gift.
When the Israelites entered the promised land, God told Joshua that He had given him the city of Jericho. "And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour." {Joshua 6:2} Even though this city was given as a gift, the next three verses describe conditions they had to meet before the gift would be theirs to keep. The Israelites could not boast that the walls fell down because of the way they marched or how loud they shouted. They understood that the walls fell because of a miracle--a gift--from God.
What would have happened if the Israelites had done nothing? They could have reasoned that marching and shouting would nullify the gift. Would the walls have fallen had they sat back and waited for God to give them the gift? "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days." {Hebrews 11:30} No, the walls fell because the people believed God and did what He commanded them to do. Their faith led them to obedience, and because of their obedience, God gave them the promised gift.
The Promised Land was given to the children of Israel. (Numbers 27:12) God gave this land to the Israelites, but He specified conditions for them to meet. "Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land ... And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it." {Numbers 33:52-53} Even though God gave them the land, he commanded them to drive out the inhabitants. "Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee." {Deut. 9:3} God was going to drive the people out, but He was going to use the Israelites to do it.
We know that Israel did not drive all of the people out of the land. God warned them that there would be consequences if they failed to do as He commanded. "But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell." {Numbers 33:55} There was a penalty for not complying with the conditions. God demands obedience. "For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, ...Then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves." {Deut. 11:22-23} When the Israelites stopped obeying, God stopped driving the inhabitants out of the land. "...The LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you." {Joshua 23:13} God gave them the land as long as they complied with his conditions. When the Israelites disobeyed God, He would no longer drive out the inhabitants. "And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations..." {Judges 2:20-21} Israel's own disobedience caused the many problems they suffered.
Grace is a wonderful gift. It saves us from our sins. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." {Romans 6:23} But, like many other gifts we read about in the Bible, grace is a gift to which strings are attached. Salvation is given to those who obey. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;" {Hebrews 5:8-9}
There is one final reason why it is impossible for obedience to nullify grace. The Bible says that those who do not obey will be condemned to everlasting punishment. "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord..." {2 Thess. 1:8-9} This passage clearly teaches us that disobedience leads to eternal condemnation. Therefore, we cannot be saved without obedience. If obedience is necessary to salvation, then it must work with grace. God is loving enough to save us with His gift of grace. But obedience is the condition that enables us to claim that gift.