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 "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 

The Bible lets us know that salvation through Jesus Christ is a gift from God; and just like any other genuine gift, it is not earned or deserved. It is not earned or deserved, because it can't be earned or deserved. As humans, we are incapable of earning our salvation because we are all sinners and thus are unable of living a holy life apart from Christ.

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil."

                            -Jeremiah 13:23

Just as it would be a hopeless endeavor for a leopard to try and wash away its spots, or for a person to try and change the color of its skin, likewise it is impossible for humans to do good who are accustomed to doing evil. Even a sinner's most "righteous" actions are usually tainted by impure motives and pride, both of which are an abomination in the eyes of God.

"For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD."

                        -Jeremiah 2:22 

Many people mistakenly assume that if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, then they will be alright. But as God said in this passage of Jeremiah, no amount of personal effort can erase our sins; they are "marked before the Lord", and they must be punished (that is, unless we accept Christ's offer of salvation, in which case God will accept Christ's death on the cross as atonement for our sins). Just as a judge would not pardon a murderer because, other than killing someone, he was a relatively good person, God will "...not at all acquit the wicked" (Nahum 1:3) based on their good works. Their sins must be dealt with.

Paul said that we were all dead in our sins apart from Christ (see Ephesians 2:1). A dead person cannot possibly bring himself back to life - no matter how hard he tries. How wonderful that through the death of Christ, we can be made alive!

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

                            -I Corinthians 15:22