A Heavenly Gift

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It's comforting and reassuring to know that our salvation is not based on us, how well we behave or how strong our faith is.

Program Transcript

In Ephesians 2:8, the apostle Paul
says, “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.” He adds, “and this
not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can
boast.”

During times of doubt or personal
struggle with sin, it is comforting and reassuring to know that our salvation
is not based on us, on how well we behave or how strong our faith is.

Our salvation is solely of God, by God
and through God from beginning to end. When Paul wrote “it is by grace you have
been saved, through faith,” he does not mean the reverse, that it is by faith
we are saved, through grace. Faith doesn’t save us, God does. And he does it by
his grace, because HE is gracious.

Salvation isn’t something that can be earned. God
gives it to us freely. Our part is simply to trust God who forgives us even
though we don’t deserve it. That’s what faith is: trusting God to love us and
save us in spite of ourselves. Faith is not a work that determines whether or
not God will save us. God has already done that in Jesus.

Notice how Paul explains it in Romans 4:4-8:

“Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift,
but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who
justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the
same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits
righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are they whose transgressions are
forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will
never count against him.”

Faith does not cause God to save us.
Faith simply involves trusting God and embracing the salvation that God has
already, by his grace, made real for us in Jesus. Faith doesn’t cause
salvation, or in any way bring about salvation. Faith only allows us to receive
and see what is already true in Christ.

“Blessed
is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him,” David said. That
person is you. And your heavenly Father has made it so by Jesus Christ through
the Holy Spirit.

I’m
Joseph Tkach, Speaking of LIFE.

Program Transcript

In Ephesians 2:8, the apostle Paul
says, “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.” He adds, “and this
not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can
boast.”

During times of doubt or personal
struggle with sin, it is comforting and reassuring to know that our salvation
is not based on us, on how well we behave or how strong our faith is.

Our salvation is solely of God, by God
and through God from beginning to end. When Paul wrote “it is by grace you have
been saved, through faith,” he does not mean the reverse, that it is by faith
we are saved, through grace. Faith doesn’t save us, God does. And he does it by
his grace, because HE is gracious.

Salvation isn’t something that can be earned. God
gives it to us freely. Our part is simply to trust God who forgives us even
though we don’t deserve it. That’s what faith is: trusting God to love us and
save us in spite of ourselves. Faith is not a work that determines whether or
not God will save us. God has already done that in Jesus.

Notice how Paul explains it in Romans 4:4-8:

“Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift,
but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who
justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the
same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits
righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are they whose transgressions are
forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will
never count against him.”

Faith does not cause God to save us.
Faith simply involves trusting God and embracing the salvation that God has
already, by his grace, made real for us in Jesus. Faith doesn’t cause
salvation, or in any way bring about salvation. Faith only allows us to receive
and see what is already true in Christ.

“Blessed
is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him,” David said. That
person is you. And your heavenly Father has made it so by Jesus Christ through
the Holy Spirit.

I’m
Joseph Tkach, Speaking of LIFE.

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