Grace; it's a Free Gift

This is not the first blog post I've written about grace. It is something of foundation for believers in Jesus Christ, and something I so often need to be reminded of. I have understood the importance of God's grace for most of my life, and yet I know I will spend the rest of my life continuing to learn and experience just how important it is. When I first came to Christ and invited Him into my life, I knew full well that it was strictly God's gracious gift that allowed me to have a relationship with Him. Yet now, after decades have passed, I am guilty of trying to work to maintain my salvation. In my head and my heart, I am fully convinced that I could never do enough good works to win my salvation. That the only reason I am saved is because God chose to save me, and sent His son Jesus to die on a cross for my sins. And I dwell on this often. But there is something in my human nature that compels me to feel the need to earn this gift of salvation at times.

Before I go on I want to define what I mean by these terms grace and salvation. Here's what Google's dictionary has to say:

Grace - "the free and unmerited favor of God toward man/sinners."

Salvation - "deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ."

Ephesians 1:7 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the riches of His grace."

One of the reasons I've decided to focus on this grace theme again, is because I want each of you reading this to marvel and be content with God's grace for you. If, like me, you understand and accept the concept of God's grace but still struggle with the fact that you need not do anything to keep it, then this is for you. If you have not yet experienced the goodness of God's forgiveness and love, then this is also for you. Regardless of where we are at in our spiritual journey, grace is something that ought to be close to our hearts and minds.

I once heard an analogy to God's grace that stuck with me. There was a grandmother who purchased a pair of nice new running shoes for her grandson. The grandson opened up the gift, and put the shoes on. They fit perfectly, and were exactly what he wanted/needed. Then, the grandson handed his grandmother a $20 bill to cover the cost of his new shoes. The grandmother did not accept the money (obviously), saying that the shoes were a gift and giving her money would negate the gift. This little made up story makes perfect sense to us. On a much larger scale, this is what God longs to give us, even smother us with. But so many of us have or do try to pay him back. The only thing we can give to God is a contrite heart. When we come to Him, acknowledging that we are nothing without Him.

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God."

So, what about the other side of the coin? Can you or I just say a prayer asking Jesus Christ to be Lord of our life, then go on living for ourselves without giving this newfound commitment a second thought? I am a firm believer that a person who is truly repentant and has embraced God's grace has passed from death into life and will never return to their old former ways. Does this mean that we will never sin again? Absolutely not. The Bible speaks clearly on this. But as we are transformed into the likeness of Christ, our desire will be to please the One (God) who made us. This is why I believe Philippians 2:12 tells us to, "...work out your salvation with fear and trembling..." Not to work for but to work out our salvation. There is a difference. God is in the process of refining us closer to His image until the day we die and go to heaven. Until then, we are, through His power and Spirit, becoming more like Him.

What if you don't feel like you're making progress? I find that often the way I see myself is misconstrued - based too much on worldly standards and the things I have been taught by the world's influence. May I give you an example? Body image is a huge struggle for me, as I'm sure it is for many of you. Some years ago, I took up jogging as a hobby, and began to cut a little weight. It felt good, and running became a bit of an obsession in my life. I continued the habit, which in itself is a healthy activity, but I allowed it to take over far too much of my thoughts and identity. Now, from an outsider's perspective, the athletic appearance of my body represented a healthier inside too, but that was not the truth. I finally was able to kick my obsession with running excessively and replace it with some healthier uses of time (like prioritizing spending time reading the Bible). Around that time, some people may have noticed a slight bit of weight gain, and less muscle definition on my body. Which may have appeared to indicate a less disciplined lifestyle. But on the inside, I was thriving more than I previously had been. I share this example to show that matters of the heart are not always what they seem to be from a superficial glance. May God give us "heart eyes" to see what is going on in our hearts and those around us more clearly. And may we pour our efforts into lasting matters rather than things that will pass away.

Ephesians 1:18 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling..."

I am thankful that I don't need to work to earn or maintain my salvation. God has already done everything necessary to secure my eternity with Him. The only thing for me to do is believe, and this in turn prompts me to live my life for Him. I am trusting God that He will continue to increase and strengthen my faith. The only thing that pleases God is faith. I leave you with one last verse that pulls together all my scattered thoughts:

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God...