"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God - not by works so that no one may boast."
This verse is a tremendous summary of God's work for us. Grace is God's gift. I don't earn grace. I don't deserve grace. Grace is what God gives to me. Grace is God's way of salvation for us.
Grace is what distinguishes Christianity from the other religions of the world. Virtually every other religion requires the person to do something to earn or deserve relationship with God. Christianity is the only religion in which relationship with God comes as a gift.
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We had a similar discussion of this issue in a recent book club. The author of Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White points out that it's almost like there are "two gospels" - one that is the personal relationship with God through His loving grace. The other is the workmanship/service part. He encourages us to see "gray" in that they are both necessary in order to fulfill God's will for us. I'm sure this has caused many major "discussions!"
ReplyDeleteI just praise God for His loving grace - I know I can never come anyway near to being all that He would like for me to be!