By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith
I Am A Child Of God
EPHESIANS 2:4-10
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
”Ephesians 2:4-10 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.2.8.NKJ
V
Salvation cannot be purchased; no amount of money or works can buy our place in God’s Kingdom.
Only through faith in Christ Jesus can we be saved.
Jesus said, “I chose you” (JOHN 15:16).
Not only did Christ choose you, but your salvation is a “gift of God;” a free gift given to you when you was still “dead” in trespasses.
Salvation is an absolute gift of grace, and is freely given to all who accept the calling to follow Christ.
Do you say, “how much do I owe you” when you are given a gift? Of course not, the appropriate response is to say “thank you!”
Yet many Christians feel obligated after being given the gift of salvation, to try and work themselves to God.
We become Christians through God’s undeserved favor, and not as result of ability, or good deeds, or intelligent choices, or acts of service on our part.
However, because our salvation is gifted to us, our response should be of gratitude, praise, and joy; it is then we will seek to help and serve others with love and kindness out of the love that we received from Christ. We love only because He loved us; “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”
I John 4:17-19 NKJV
While no works or actions can help us obtain salvation, God prepared us before hand; we are His masterpiece, gifted for good works. And since we are God’s masterpiece, we surely should not treat ourselves or others with disrespect or as inferior or useless.
For now you are a “child of God” and the same power that raised Christ from the dead is in you (EPHESIANS 1:20-22; ROMANS 8:11); as a result, that what is humanly impossible, is possible with Christ (LUKE 18:27; MATHEW 19:26), including resurrection life and every impossible situation we face.
The truth is, you can do all things through Christ who is your strength (PHILIPPIANS 4:13).
Sometimes, when we are feeling useless, unloved, or discouraged, we need to remind ourselves of exactly who we really are, “God’s workmanship, His masterpiece,” and encourage ourselves by saying, “I am a child of God, and my place is to sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
Ephesians 2:11-13 NKJV
My beloved, salvation is a gift of God to all who believe on Christ Jesus; it’s a simple process that paves the way to peace and joy in the chaos of this world, and a wonderful eternal future where even death will be no more (REVELATION 21:3-4).
The journey starts with a simple prayer that commits one’s life to Christ; it is that simple.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:31-39 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
