Welcome to Scripture Saturday!
Today we are memorizing Ephesians 2:8-9a…
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works…
I love the amplified version of this verse…
For it is by grace [God’s
remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have
been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life]
through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through
your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God…
Let's look at the three key words in this verse: grace, saved and faith, and what they mean to us as Christians…
_Grace - "unmerited favor." It
is God's doing good for someone who does not deserve it. Nothing in us
entitles us to salvation. God is gracious, full of mercy, love, and
kindness towards us. He has reached out through His Son Jesus Christ to save us.
_Saved
- is a passive verb. It emphasizes what has been done TO us. We do not
save ourselves by completing admirable works…God saves us. He makes us whole.
_Faith - we must have faith to
receive God's gracious offer of salvation. God expects us to trust in
and act on His Word. In other words, God showers grace on those who are
faithful and obey His truth. Our obedient faith allows grace to be
given.
“The grace that saves is the
free, undeserved goodness and favor of God; and He saves, not by the
works of the law, but through faith in Christ Jesus. Grace in the soul
is a new life in the soul. A regenerated sinner becomes a living soul;
he lives a life of holiness, being born of God: he lives, being
delivered from the guilt of sin, by pardoning and justifying grace.
We are saved through faith in
the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ. So when I unintentionally sin, I
must repent and confess my sin and believe by faith I am forgiven. It
is only after doing these things that I can receive the grace of God.”
(M.Henry)
“God's wonderful grace has
saved us through our obedient faith to do His good works. God has
inseparably joined grace, faith, and works together in His plan for the
salvation of man.” (A.Cole)
To truly apply His word, this
verse, to my life I must be reminded of this. Through my FAITH in Christ
and what He did for me, I received God’s grace. I have become His “work
of art”. I
am then God’s “masterpiece” to do His good works. God saved me to
serve. Others should be able to see my good works, my life, as a
masterpiece that glorifies my Father in Heaven!