Bible Questions Answered: Justification Through Faith In Christ

Bible Questions Answered:
You say that salvation is by grace and not works, but I see in Revelation that those who kept the commandments had the right to the tree of life! So salvation is by works!
Nathan/ Castel Gandolfo, Italy

Bible Answers:
Revelation 22:14 KJV
Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Well, we know only too well, that mankind is “not,” saved by works, so then something must be wrong here.

Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

There is a problem, and the problem is how the King James version has translated verse fourteen, it should have been translated “Blessed are those who wash their robes....” all the “best,” manuscripts so translate it.

(Twelve different versions)

Revelation 22:14 The Message
How blessed are those who wash their robes! The Tree of Life is theirs for good, and they'll walk through the gates to the City.

Revelation 22:14 NLT
Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life.

Revelation 22:14 NAS
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

Revelation 22:14 RSV
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.

Revelation 22:14 AMP
Blessed (happy and to be envied) are those who cleanse their garments, that they may have the authority and right to [approach] the tree of life and to enter through the gates into the city.

Revelation 22:14 ESV
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.

Revelation 22:14 CEV
God will bless all who have washed their robes. They will each have the right to eat fruit from the tree that gives life, and they can enter the gates of the city.

Revelation 22:14 NCV
"Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they will receive the right to eat the fruit from the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

Revelation 22:14 ASV
Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.

Revelation 22:14 Darby
Blessed [are] they that wash their robes, that they may have right to the tree of life, and that they should go in by the gates into the city.

Revelation 22:14 HCSB
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.

Revelation 22:14 Wycliffe
Blessed be they, that wash their stoles, that the power of them be in the tree of life, and enter by the gates into the city.


(A heavenly view:
Sinfully stained garments made white and clean, through the blood of Christ.)

Revelation 6:11 KJV
"And white robes were given unto every one of them..."

Revelation 7:9;13,14 KJV
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me,
These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:11-13 KJV
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.
13 And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.

Revelation 19:7,8 KJV
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

(Children of God, cleansed by the blood of Christ, and the regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, with the Word of God.)

Isaiah 1:18 KJV
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Titus 3:4-7 KJV
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Ephesians 5:25-27 KJV
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it;
26 That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians 5:25-27 NLT
25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her
26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.
27 He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.

I John 1:7 KJV
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Galatians 2:16 KJV
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.