Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
This is a verse I see a lot of people struggle with. The thought that there is nothing we can do to ensure our salvation is a scary one. But it is also a very humbling and comforting thought.
If we dissect this verse a bit, we find that through our faith we are saved by God’s grace. Paul tells us this grace comes to us, not because of anything we did or didn’t do, but is is a gift from God. Have you ever thought that you don’t deserve this gift from God? I struggled with this for a long time.
I could look at the people in my church and think, He is forgiven, she is forgiven, they are forgiven. But how can God forgive me? The truth is, if you have faith in the Father and the Son, you ARE forgiven. I am forgiven. It doesn’t matter what I’ve done. I’ve committed some whopper sins, folks. Some real doozies. The truth is, I don’t know what sins these other people have committed. And it doesn’t matter.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.
Have you ever thought to yourself, “This salvation thing is great for some people, but I haven’t done anything that bad”? The Bible clearly tells us we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Jesus himself tells us if you look at someone with lust, you commit adultery (Matthew 5:28). If you hate someone, you are a murderer (1 John 3:15).
Trust me. You need this gift. I need this gift. Don’t refuse a gift from God. Think of it this way: If a friend came over and presented you with a gift, would you refuse it? Of course not! That would be rude. It would hurt his/her feelings. How much more does it hurt God when we refuse a gift that cost Him so much to be able to give us? He watched His perfect Son be beaten, ridiculed, and murdered, all to save even the ones who contributed to His murder. Can you imagine the pain He felt watching this happen to His child?
Don’t deny God the pleasure of gifting you with salvation. He loves you. So much so, that He took on human form and came into this world knowing what would happen. And He did this to spend an eternity with you. You are worth it to God, our Father. You are worth saving. You are so loved. And your sins are not powerful enough to change that fact.
If you are ready to receive this gift, talk to someone. Send me a message. Don’t let it slip away. Take this gift before it is too late. If you would like to claim this gift, pray the following Sinner’s Prayer:
Father God, I have spent too much of my life walking without you. It has led only to misery. I want to walk through this life together with you; pleasing you along the way with my thoughts and actions.
I am a sinner. And I know that my sins can only be forgiven through your Son, Jesus Christ. God, I accept your generous gift of forgiveness and ask Jesus Christ to come into my heart and make me new.
Show me the things I need to change to be more like you. Grant me your wisdom and discernment as I read your Word and congregate with other Christians. Protect me from the evil one on this journey, Lord.
I thank you so much for all you’ve done for me, out of love. Please grant me your Holy Spirit to guide me. I have so much love for you and I want to share it with the world. Please help me be bold and confident.
I pray this all in the name of Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen.
