It’s Grace that Saves

The wonderful blessing of salvation is something none of us could ever earn by our own doing. God’s grace did this for us! He eternally saves every believer who places their faith in Him. We cannot earn it, but only receive this free gift. Let’s pray….

Heavenly Father, thank You for salvation. Thank You for saving a sinner like me. I’m so glad there is nothing I must do to be saved. I only need to believe in Your Son Jesus, who lived a sinless life, died, and was resurrected three days later. I put my full trust in Your saving grace. Show me Your plans for my life, and help me live them out. Amen.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

I know for me, it’s not always easy to receive salvation. In my head, I think there is an imaginary checklist that I need to finish before God really accepts me into heaven. It feels sort of like I am saved some days and other days I am not because of my actions. I’m aware of the sinful things I have done and the negative thoughts in my head, and I want to try to fix them before going to God in prayer. But that is all a lie. I must remind myself that God loves me for who I am, and not for what I’ve done or accomplished in my life. He wants my heart and obedience. Is grace a concept that is easy for you to accept, or do you still tend to want to earn God’s favor?

One Christmas morning when I was young, my parents abundantly blessed my sister and me with all sorts of gifts we were not expecting to receive. It had been a particularly tough year for us as a family, and my parents showered us with gifts. I don’t specifically remember, but I think my sister received a huge 1990’s stereo system. But I know what I got. My dad must have gone to every toy store in central Ohio, because he bought me all sorts of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures. They were all around our living room, and I kept finding more and more, wondering when it was going to end. The joy on my face put a smile on my parents’ faces, and for a brief moment, we forgot the difficult situation we were experiencing. That was a great memory, one I still think about, because it was very unexpected. Have you ever received an awesome gift from a loved one that you were not expecting? How did you respond?

I think most of us like getting rewarded or acknowledged for doing a task well. We like the recognition it can bring and the spotlight placed on us, even if it’s just for a brief moment. But throughout scripture, we see that’s not how God’s Kingdom operates. The focus is always taken off the individual and placed on our Father in heaven. It’s never about us and what we can or can’t do. It’s always about what God has done for us. Even Jesus operated with humility and a servant’s heart while He lived out His mission on earth. He always placed the needs of others before His own; He showed God’s love and grace to everyone throughout His life.

Our relationship with God starts and is sustained through His grace.

As we close, go to God in prayer and thank Him for His grace. Here are some thoughts to help you get started.

Thank God for His gift of grace, and for the fact that you need to do nothing to earn it. You only need to put your faith in Him.

Tell God how amazing He is, and thank Him for the eternal life that He has graced you with.

I pray that you receive God’s grace for your life, and that you tell others about what God has done for you. Amen.