MONDAY April 29, 2024
God’s Gift of Grace
...that in the ages to come He [God] 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.
Ephesians 2:7-9
In the future to come, God will finish what He has begun in your life: ...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). We are billionaires in the Kingdom of God, not in silver or gold; but through the grace of God, we have received many spiritual riches.
Think about it. We are saved by grace through faith. It is nothing of ourselves; it is the gift of God. As sinners, we have placed our trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation. Therefore, we cannot brag or boast about it. Nobody can earn their salvation through any kind of good works. Some people think they are saved because of their church membership, and others by their generous giving to the poor. There are those who believe they are saved through their parent’s faith––not so. It is a miracle, a new spiritual birth, just as Jesus said: “Very truly I [Jesus] tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:5 NIV). God gets all the glory.
Salvation must be found by every individual. Every person has an opportunity to come to know God’s grace. The Holy Spirit will convict them of their sinfulness, and He will lead them to repentance. This is entirely the work of God: Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4).
Do not despise the riches of God’s goodness. The Lord is so patient with you. He desires to lead you to the Cross of Christ, the very place where the burden of your sin can be left, and you can know His forgiveness.
Grace is that in God which brings into favor one justly in disfavor.
~A.W. Tozer~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
