How do we know that grace and faith are essential for salvation?

The principles of grace and faith are foundational to a sovereign grace theology. Romans 4:16 states that the promise is based on faith so that it may be by grace. This connection shows that if salvation depended on human effort, it could not be considered grace. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we read that we are saved by grace through faith, which is a gift from God. This emphasizes that we do not contribute to our salvation; rather, it is a work of God that we simply receive through faith. Hence, grace signifies God's unmerited favor, while faith is our response to that grace, affirming that salvation rests fully on God's sovereignty and not on our existence or actions.