by Ron Goodwin
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…
God’s grace, what is it? What does it mean? The best definition I have heard is undeserved favor. It’s undeserved because we can never be righteous enough or perform enough good deeds to earn salvation. Eternal life comes by the grace of God and not by works, lest any man should boast. The Bible says we should still do good works and acts of righteousness, which will please and honor God, but they won’t buy us a ticket to heaven. If we could have saved ourselves, God wouldn’t have had to send Jesus to pay the price for mankind’s sins. It’s better this way because if some of us could have been good enough, we would be proud and would look down on others and we would not have loved God as much for His mercy and sacrifice.
Pride is condemned repeatedly in the Bible and always goes before a fall. We have seen that in history. Pride was the cause of the very first sin. The angel Lucifer became so proud he wanted to replace God and take over heaven.
The New Testament speaks about certain acts of righteousness—prayer, fasting and charity—which are to be done in secret. Good deeds, on the other hand, are to be made known so people will see God’s work being done and then give praise to God. So, salvation comes by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, which leads to love of God and others and manifests itself in good deeds and acts of righteousness.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, today I may be facing a difficult situation not knowing the right decision or a temptation I may not resist. I need Your guidance and if I falter, Your grace is sufficient for me.
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