The Grace of God

One of the most misunderstood attributes of almighty God is that of His grace. So often we think of grace as that “get out of jail free card” that enables us to sin freely, knowing that He will be there to pick us up. While it is true He is ready to forgive us if we confess our sins and repent, grace is not something to be taken lightly! Ephesians 2:1-10 is a wonderful explanation of God’s grace and its role in the salvation of our souls. We tend to focus on verses 8-9, which says “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.” Salvation was, is, and will always be by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone! There is no other way to spend eternity with Christ then to put your faith and trust in Him. This brings me back to the issue of grace. We must see what vv. 1-3 says about where Christ found us. We were “dead in trespasses and sins.” We were (or are) too busy fulfilling the lusts of the flesh to be concerned with living for God. God’s gift to us is His grace. Grace is defined as undeserved favor. It is nothing we can earn, work for, receive through baptism, etc. God sent His Son to die on the cross for your sins and mine, even though we don’t deserve it! Because of this grace makes demands on our life. We must always remember where Christ found us and what He did for us. Understanding God’s grace will drive who we are and how we live our daily lives!

Pastor Steve Inman

First Baptist Church of Brayton