Thursday, August 2, 2012
You are Saved by Grace Alone!
When God gave His only begotten Son for the sins of the world, that was the greatest sacrifice. It was necessary to make it possible for sinners to be holy and blameless before Him, but God's work to carry out His plan was far from finished. Now He had to turn enemies who hated Him into holy children who love and serve Him. In other words, what God did through Christ, He now must work in us.
Ephesians 1:7-9 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.
GOD'S GRACE IS REVEALED
It's a mystery all right. Why would God go to such expense and sacrifice to adopt us as His sons and make us like His Son? It is so contrary to our own nature and our own thinking. We are attuned to thinking that any goodness must be earned. Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing is truly free. Everything goes to those who deserve it. If you want to get on God's good side, you must have to do something for Him or suffer some punishment or something.
Man simply can't imagine that God would even make such a plan for us much less carry it out. We would never have dreamed of such a plan. That's why it is a mystery, the only way we can know it is if God reveals it to us. Paul writes to the Corinthians, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). So God did make "known to us the mystery of His will." He has revealed it to us in His word. In Romans 8 Paul says, "Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called."
When were you brought to faith? Was it in your baptism as a child or perhaps through hearing His word when you were older. That was another evidence of God's grace, for God was carrying out His eternal plan for you. He saw to it that you heard His word and sent His Holy Spirit into your heart to create faith in Jesus. He made His grace abound toward you.
Don't ever take pride in your faith as if you are a step above the rest because you believe. That too is God's gift to you. Your faith is evidence of God's grace, for He is working out His eternal plan, making it a reality in your life. God has been planning this for you from eternity and now He is working out His plan in your life. That is where your security lies -- in knowing that God is working His eternal plan for you, and He cannot fail.
