How do we know that salvation is by grace?

The assurance of salvation by grace is fortified by passages like Ephesians 2:8-9, which states, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.' This emphasizes that salvation is entirely the work of God, not based on human effort or merit. The repeated affirmation of grace throughout the Bible shows that God chooses to extend His mercy and love to unworthy sinners, further illustrated in various Old Testament stories where individuals like Abraham, Sarah, and others were saved not because of their actions but purely by God's sovereign grace. Such examples reinforce the understanding that our hope lies in God's redemptive work rather than our own abilities.