I believe a person comes into a right relationship with God by His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
“For by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
One day before our first child was born, my wife and I had a conversation about whether we would involve Santa Claus in our Christmas gift-giving with our kids. I was taking the No Santa position, but not for the reason most people would think. I didn’t want Santa involved because I didn’t want him to get the credit for the biggest and best gifts on Christmas morning. I wanted the extra love and attention that would come when I presented my daughter with her first bike or the play kitchen she really wanted. What started out as a goofy conversation revealed in me a desire for recognition and reason to boast in what I could offer others. I wanted my daughter to think I was a great dad because of what I gave her.
In one way or another, this is a mindset that rings true for most of us. We want credit and recognition for what we do. However, when it comes to the things of God we are called to boast only in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:10) and remember that God began the work of salvation. God, and God alone, should receive the glory, the pride, and the celebration. Our right standing with the Father (justification) has nothing to with us but instead has everything to do with the generous and loving God of the Bible. The same God who sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins, who laid down his life, ultimately reigns victorious over sin and death. We need to realize that our salvation is rooted in the graciousness of God alone and not graciousness and our works.
As we seek to live in a constant remembrance of our salvation by the grace of God, I want to give you a few reminders to cling to in your spiritual life.
Salvation by Grace Reminds Us of Who We Were
Most can very easily remember times when we were distant from the things of God, but it’s important to remember that regardless of how far along we are in the Christian journey, we have a testimony that reminds us of our past struggles, difficulties, and sin habits. During those struggles or sin habits, we turned to Jesus and trusted that he could fix the brokenness and make us whole. We offered him nothing, but He gave us everything (Ephesians 2:5).
Salvation by Grace Reveals to Us Who We Are
When we placed our faith in Jesus, we became more aware of and sensitive to the things of God. Things that were once incredibly foreign and strange became things that we desired because we wanted to be obedient to God. We no longer have to live according to the flesh and its desires; we are free to walk in a life that is shared with Jesus as his disciples and children of his kingdom (Ephesians 2:6-7).
Salvation by Grace Revitalizes Us in Our Daily Lives
When we are able to live our lives free from the fear of a merit-based salvation, we are free to live in a manner worthy of our calling. We no longer fear the outcome but instead seek to glorify God and his kingdom in all that we do. Instead of boasting in our accomplishments, we boast in the Lord and his faithfulness. God gets the glory and God gets the recognition.
PRAYER
Father, thank you for all that you have done to secure my salvation with you. Thank you for sending Jesus and for the life he lived, the death he died, and his resurrection that ensured our victory. You are such a gracious God, and I acknowledge that you alone are enough for my salvation. I surrender to your will and desire to be obedient to you. Amen.