Given What We Could Never Gain on Our Own
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Imagine working hard for something you could never obtain. Imagine still being granted that very thing you longed for, through no merit of your own.
Over the years, my daughter, who is a competitive year-round swimmer, has said a few times that she’s going to be an Olympian. Of course, my husband and I responded with words like, “You can do anything you put your mind to.” Now, if she continues working hard and listening to her coaches, she stands a good chance of swimming in college. Though we’d be ecstatically proud of her, going to the Olympics would be a stretch.
But what if an Olympic swim coach showed up at my house and told her, because she believed she could compete in the Olympics, she made it into the next summer games?
Ludicrous. She hasn’t worked hard enough, trained long enough, and eaten well enough for such athleticism.
Yet, this is similar to what God did for us. We could never work hard enough to ever deserve our salvation, but God freely gives it to all who ask for it. But we can’t boast about it because this incredible gift is free. It’s not paid for by anything we’ve done or accomplished. All we can do is thank Him, praise Him, and offer our lives back to Him as an act of worship.
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, now is the time to ask for this priceless present. If you’re a believer, thank Him for His grace and the fact that we can call heaven our future home.
Kristen Terrette cherishes her Southern roots and lives 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, GA. She served as a Children's Ministry Director for many years, and with the support of her husband and two children she now stays home writing Christian fiction and non-fiction. She's passionate about storytelling and helping people take their next steps in their relationship with Jesus. She serves on the Wholly Loved Ministries team, serves at her local church on the women's leadership team, and writes for Crosswalk.com. To see her blog and novels, check out her website at www.kristenterrette.com.
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Originally published Tuesday, 19 March 2024.
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