LIVING IN THE BALANCE OF GRACE AND FAITH “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 In this verse, it says we are saved by grace through faith, not one or the other. Think of it this way-Graace is what God does; faith is what we do. It takes both working together to receive salvation. Grace means unmerited, unearned, undeserved favour. Therefore, the good news is, grace has nothing to do with you. Grace existed before you ever came to be. Another way of saying it is, grace is God’s part. Faith is a positive response to what God has already provided by grace. In other words, faith is your positive response to God’s grace, or faith only appropriates what God has already done for you. Therefore, faith is your part. Grace and faith work together, and they must be in balance. Salvation is not dependent on grace alone. If it were, everyone would be saved and going to heaven, for God’s grace is the same toward everyone (Titus 2:11). He has already given the gift of salvation to everyone through Jesus. It is by faith that a person receives what was done about 2,000 years ago. Some people believe that in order to be saved, we need to ask God to forgive us of our sins, but that isn’t what the Bible teaches. In 1 John 2:2, it states that Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. Jesus didn’t just die for those He knew would accept Him; He died for every sinner who has ever lived on this earth. And He died before you or I ever committed a single sin. Sin is not an issue with God! The Lord isn’t waiting for us to ask Him to forgive us of our sins. The sins of the entire world—past, present, and future—have already been forgiven. Even a man like Adolf Hitler had grace extended to him! Jesus loved Hitler and paid for his sins just as He did for yours and mine. God is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:11). God has already done His part; it is now up to you to receive the truth by faith and make it a reality in your life. Accept Jesus Christ and be saved. Many emphasize grace and others emphasize faith, but there has to be a balance. It’s like sodium and chloride: Taken individually, it can kill you. But when mixed together, they become salt, which you must have to live. Grace without your positive response of faith won’t save you, and faith that isn’t a response to God’s grace will bring you into condemnation. Put your faith in what God has already done for you
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 06:05:46 +0000
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