Saving Grace

A young man went to his pastor for help. For over an hour he shared his inner battle that can be summed up in the words, “I should do more, I could do more, I honestly try but I never seem good enough.” The pastor felt that the young man was not as spiritual as he ought to be so suggested that he should read his Bible more and prayed more. The young men went home even more down hearted than when he came to the pastor because His Christian life was one of trying harder.

The problem was, of course, that the young man was living by law instead of grace. Like many struggling believers he had fallen into the performance trap and believed the lie, “Everything depends on how well I perform.” In this mindset it is easier to live as a servant constantly doing and trying to do better, rather than living as a dearly loved child, resting in the security of our Heavenly Father.

Our text for today tells us that we were saved by grace, through faith. The faith that saved us is not our own faith; it is the gift of God. In our ongoing walk as believers in Jesus, God’s grace speaks to our hearts as He whispers, “Trust me, rest in me, stop striving.” Legalism says, “It depends on you, try harder, do better, be perfect.”

Grace is undeserved. We can never be good enough to experience it. Grace cannot be earned. Whatever good works we perform we will never match up to God’s standard. Grace is not something we can pay for. We simply receive it as a free gift from a merciful God who sent Jesus to purchase salvation for us.

The doorway to God’s grace is His unconditional love. Grace makes us worthwhile and valuable for who we are and not because of what we accomplish. Whatever we may do to please God or whatever we may do to dishonour Him, He will never withdraw His unconditional love – His grace.