How do we know that works cannot save us?

Despite the call to produce good works as believers, scripture emphasizes that these works cannot save us. In Titus 3:5, Paul makes it explicit that we are saved not by works of righteousness, but according to His mercy. This highlights the truth that while believers strive for good works, they are ultimately 'dead works' that cannot offer life or salvation. The grace of God, which brings salvation, is the foundation of our hope, and we must rely solely on Christ's finished work rather than any merit we might claim through our actions.