Saved by Grace Through Faith
Week 36, Weekend
Heather Platt
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, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (esv)
Wow, what a glorious truth! Praise the Lord that we are completely saved by His grace alone! The Almighty God of the universe chose to look down on sinful man and deliver us from His infinite wrath. This truly is an indescribable gift that we could never repay.
So how do we receive this indescribable gift? The Bible says that we are saved through faith. This means that we place our trust in the sovereign God who loves us enough to sacrifice His only Son, Jesus, on our behalf! But even this faith is not completely of ourselves. It, too, is God’s gift to us.
So what do we do with this faith that God has so graciously given us? In Ephesians 2:10, Paul answered this question. He wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (esv). The works we perform are not to earn our salvation. Instead, they are simply the overflow of hearts of faith. Faith works . . . literally! I love the last part of this verse when the Bible says that God has prepared in advance for us to do good works as we are walking in his ways. God has designed divine appointments as the fruit of His Spirit is fleshed out in our lives. What freedom it is to know that I am not just working for God, but also with God in the power of His grace and salvation.
In what ways is your life displaying fruit as someone who is saved by God’s grace? Who or what are you boasting in today? What divine appointments and “good works” has the Lord prepared beforehand for you to accomplish?
Lord Jesus, thank You for this indescribable gift of grace through faith. Lord, I realize that I cannot be saved on my own, and I need You to teach me how to have a radical faith in You and dependence on You. Thank You for all that You have done for me in the past, and thank You for all that You are doing for me in the present. Lead my steps today for Your glory to those who need to know about salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone! Amen.