Where does Paul ever deny that good works are the basis for ultimate salvation. Certainly not in Eph 2:9, since the "works" whose salvific power Paul denies are clearly not "good works" but the works, or practices of the Jewish Law - the Torah. And certainly not at the end of Romans 3 where Paul, again, denies the salvific power of the works of the Torah, not good works.
So um, he's telling Gentiles "
not of works" but really meaning "not of Law".
He said "
not of works." I think he meant what he said. There's no hint of Mosaic Law in what precedes. As a Gentile I've no reason to think Paul meant anything other than what he said.
Paul's pre-Law lesson:
What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness Rom 4:1-5
Based on the assumption that I know what you mean by ultimate salvation -- that is, a modern term in modern Protestant circles known as "final justification" earlier translated "last judgment" -- I'd offer the following:
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is onewho will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. Rom 3:27-31
The verb "will justify" here is future tense.
For the reprobate I agree, their "final justification" is by works -- and what a terrifying judgment that will be. But for the elect it must be that God will judge His people by and through faith, not works,
and apart from works of law. Paul's reason for saying this is
pre-Law Abraham, as I just pointed out in Romans 4.
Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vainif indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as justification"? Gal 3:2-5
Paul reverts back to pre-Law Abraham (and says so explicitly, 3:17) to demand the Galatian Gentiles not revert back to legal means and by becoming circumcised and observing Torah.
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. Gal 4:8-11
But listen to the words.
Revert back -- that's a remarkable thing to say about uncircumcised Gentiles.
What were they leaving? And how is that similar to the Torah observance they were about to engage in?
The rules changed on that Cross. Our justification is to be through faith, not by works. Our salvation ultimately involves us, but not with works as a cause -- as an effect characteristic of the group, to be sure. But not as a cause.