Podcast Summary

Podcast: Ultimately with R.C. Sproul
Episode: Saved by the Works of Christ
Date: December 1, 2025
Host: Ligonier Ministries

Overview: Main Theme

This episode centers on the question: How is salvation accomplished? R.C. Sproul meditates on the biblical teaching that, while Christians proclaim salvation by grace through faith, ultimately salvation is grounded in works—not our own, but the works of Christ. Drawing connections from the covenant with Adam to the redemptive work of Jesus, Sproul clarifies how the gospel satisfies both the justice and the grace of God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Covenant of Works in Eden

• Sproul underscores the foundational truth that “the destiny of the human race will be determined and decided on the basis of performance.” (00:00)
• Adam and Eve’s original state is described as probationary, with a promise of everlasting life laid before them, symbolized by the tree of life.
  • “The whole basis for the relationship with God and human beings is established here on the basis of works.” (01:43)
• The central stipulation: do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
• Adam’s failure “plunged the world into ruin,” demonstrating the far-reaching impact of human disobedience.

2. The Confusion About Grace and Works

• Despite Scripture’s insistence that “we are saved by grace,” there’s confusion that arises when this is held alongside the importance of works.
• Sproul clarifies: Grace is made manifest through “the person and the work of Christ.” (02:30)

3. Christ as the Second Adam

• Jesus is introduced as the “new Adam, or the last Adam, or the second Adam.” (02:41)
• Jesus voluntarily places Himself under “the obligation and stipulations of the original covenant of works.”
  • This is dramatized by the temptation in the wilderness and, indeed, “throughout his whole life.”
• Sproul’s key theological point:
  • “We are saved not only by the death of Christ, but also by the life of Christ. Because it is in his life of perfect obedience... that Christ fulfills all of the terms laid down in the original covenant of works.” (03:21)

4. Salvation By Works—But Not Our Own

• Sproul addresses the apparent contradiction:
  • “You say, wait a minute. I thought we taught justification by faith alone. Yes, but justification by faith alone means justification by putting our faith in Christ alone. Because Christ alone has fulfilled the covenant of works. We are still saved by works, but we are saved not by our works, but by the works of Christ.” (03:59)
• This statement underscores Reformation teaching: Faith saves not by itself, but as the instrument of receiving Christ’s perfect record.

5. The Justice and Grace of God in the Cross

• Sproul challenges the common misconception:
  • “Sometimes people think that the Old Testament is all about God's justice and wrath and the New Testament is all about his mercy and grace and love.” (04:30)
• He teaches that the clearest demonstration of God’s justice and wrath is, in fact, found in the cross, where God’s wrath is poured out on Christ.
• At the same time, the cross becomes the preeminent display of God’s grace:
  • “That wrath is received by somebody else. It is received by our substitute, who submits himself to the terms of the first covenant and fulfills all of those obligations for all who put their trust in Him.” (05:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the gravity of Adam’s failure:
  “They [Adam and Eve], along with their descendants, will be plunged into ruin.” (01:25)
• On Christ’s obedience:
  “Throughout his whole life, he is exposed to that temptation… we are saved not only by the death of Christ, but also by the life of Christ.” (03:15)
• Summing up the doctrine:
  “We are still saved by works, but we are saved not by our works, but by the works of Christ.” (04:10)
• On the cross as the fullness of justice and grace:
  “This act, which so demonstrates the justice of God, is also at one and the same time, the clearest example of the grace of God that we find in Scripture.” (05:17)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–01:50 | Covenant of Works: Adam and Eve’s probation and failure
• 01:51–02:41 | Consequences of the covenant’s violation, foundation for the need of grace
• 02:42–03:44 | Christ as the new Adam, His life as redemptive obedience
• 03:45–04:30 | Salvation by works—Christ’s works, not ours; explanation of justification by faith
• 04:31–05:17 | Misconceptions about OT/NT, justice and grace in the cross
• 05:18–05:59 | Substitution of Christ, fulfillment of the covenant for believers

Summary

In this concise, powerful episode, R.C. Sproul reiterates a cornerstone of Christian theology: salvation is by works—but exclusively the completed, perfect works of Christ. By rooting the explanation in the narrative of Adam and the covenant of works, Sproul demonstrates why humanity’s only hope is in a substitute who fulfills where we failed. Christ’s sinless life and sacrificial death are shown to be the fulfillment of God’s justice and the purest expression of His grace, culminating in a call to “put our trust in Him.”