Works vs. work

“Then they asked Him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.’” John 6:28-29
Many people today ask this very same question: what must we do to do the works God requires, or, what must we do to be saved. Throughout the Bible we find that salvation is not by works, but by faith, and Jesus gives a direct answer to this question here. First of all, He points out that it is not works that are required, by saying, ‘The work of God is this’. Secondly, it is not works that God requires, but work that God does in us (‘the work of God’). Thirdly, this is the work that needs to be done – by God, not us – faith.
In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul writes, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no-one may boast.” The very faith that we have in Christ for salvation, was given to us by God. All we had to do was respond and put that gift of faith into action. God did this so that He would be the only one to receive glory for our salvation.