Why is knowing you have eternal life based on faith rather than works?
Knowing you have eternal life rests on faith, not works, because in the spiritual realm nothing can be done without faith—taking God at His Word. Works cannot qualify anyone, since all have come short of God's glory and cannot meet His criteria or be good enough for heaven.
Les explains that the plan of salvation prompts the question, “How can you know?” How can you know you are in Christ, have eternal life, and do not have to worry about missing heaven? The answer is always based on faith. In the realm of the Spirit, you can do nothing without faith, which is taking God at His Word. That is why studying the Word matters. The best and first place to start is Romans 3:23: all have come short of the glory of God. No one can meet God's criteria or claim to be good enough to enter God's heaven. So assurance cannot rest on human merit or works; it rests on believing what God has said.