God’s grace covers our need. Where salvation is concerned, God’s only prerequisite to receiving grace is that we repent and receive the gift of Messiah, Jesus.
As recipients of this grace, our lives demonstrate to others the possibilities of grace that are readily available to us, through Christ. Our lives become a beacon to draw them to Christ so that they, too, might experience it.
Grace is undeserved favor; it is a gift. But because we are accustomed to living in a world where we are required to earn our way, we naturally assume that we must earn our way in the spiritual realm as well. Many try to accomplish that through benevolence—regular attendance at worship, tithing, philanthropy, helping the needy, etc. But our benevolent activities, however meritorious, cannot win our salvation. Salvation is available only as a gift—as an outpouring of God’s grace.
Paul says, “Saving is all God’s idea,” but we do have a role to play. We must, “trust God enough to let God do it.” Paul was raised in an environment that emphasized the importance of works—of obedience to Torah law. But after his salvation experience with Jesus, he came to realize the futility of trying to live the perfect life. Even so, Paul still struggled unsuccessfully to do the right thing, often failing (Romans 7:14-24). However, he also discovered the grace of God, which makes perfect living unnecessary.
If our salvation is not the result of anything that we have done, but is strictly a gift from God, then we have no grounds for boasting.
(We invite your comments. Feel free to share this devotion with your friends and invite them to subscribe by forwarding their email address to the Pastor at: fredjeffsmith@gmail.com.)
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