“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary”

Simplified Meaning:

Imagine someone drowning in the ocean. They can't save themselves because they don't know how to swim. A lifeguard sees them struggling, jumps in, and pulls them to safety. The drowning person didn't help in their own rescue; in fact, their only part in the situation was needing to be saved because they were in trouble. This idea is like the quote. It means that in the context of spiritual salvation, people can't save themselves with their good deeds or efforts. They need help because they've done wrong things, which made it necessary for someone to save them. A person’s role is just to recognize the mistakes and accept the help offered. For example, if you made a huge mess in your room and your parents come to help clean it up, you didn't do anything to clean initially, except make the mess. In life, it’s recognizing when you need help and being open to receive it. Understanding this can make people more humble and grateful for the assistance they get.