It Is By Grace That We Have Been Saved

For it is 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 can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV

Salvation is not based on what we do or the sacrifices we made for God. It’s not about our own efforts or strength. But it’s all about grace and faith. This is the reason why we shouldn’t think that God will lead His children to Heaven because of the good things that they did. If this is the case, then someone would boast and count their efforts.

It’s grace that will lead us to experience eternity with God. It’s a precious gift that is freely given to everyone. But the question is, are you willing to receive it? Sometimes, it’s hard to comprehend the truth that Jesus paid the price just for us to be saved. It’s undeniably even harder to understand why He chose to die in our place. But that’s what grace is. Though it’s freely given to us by God, somebody needs to pay the consequences of our bad actions. Somebody needs to carry the punishment so that justice will still prevail.

Grace is not the absence of justice. In fact, it’s God’s way of reminding us to do what is right. It is like an invitation to follow His will and do what pleases His name. It doesn’t give us permission to sin or even allow us to keep on doing bad things. Instead, it’s a priceless treasure that will lead us to connect to God’s heart again. It’s not something that we should abuse. It’s like God’s way of reminding us to come back home.

This is the reason why it takes faith to receive this kind of grace. It’s unusual and sometimes difficult to receive because even humans can’t easily forgive ourselves. Grace is like a powerful weapon to kill our prideful hearts. It reminds us that there’s nothing that we should boast about. It’s like fresh and living water that flows down through our souls and cleanses all our selfish desires. It kills our ego. And it puts us back to the right foundation. Grace brings us back to repentance and, eventually, to God’s salvation.

So whenever you are tempted to think that you are meant to go to Heaven because of your good deeds, then keep in mind that it’s about God’s grace. And whenever you wonder why those people who broke your heart experience a glimpse of Heaven here on earth, then it’s all about God’s grace. Sometimes, you can never comprehend God’s goodness. It’s hard to understand why He would save someone who committed a terrible mistake. But again, it’s because of God’s grace.

Prayer: Father God, you are the maker of the Heaven and the earth. All your creations reflect your goodness. Please remind me that you are greater than the bad things that happened in my life. Teach me how to receive your grace, especially when I can’t easily comprehend your ways. Help me to become more sensitive with your Spirit. I pray for your loving arms to hold me, Lord, especially when I can’t find my way back home. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.