The doctrine of justification by grace teaches that salvation is a free gift from God that cannot be earned or deserved by our works. This means that work is not required for salvation. We cannot earn our salvation through good works because our sinfulness is too great to merit God's favor. Instead, we are saved by grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ. While good works are an important part of the Christian life, they are not the basis of our salvation. Rather, they are the fruit of our salvation and a way in which we demonstrate our love and gratitude to God.