Devotion for September 4, 2008

Saved by Grace

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV).

About the time things are going well, and confidence is growing, the flesh rears up its ugly head and wins a battle or two. These times are a stark reminder that it is by grace one is save through faith, and that is a gift of God.

Were believers required to keep themselves from falling no one would make it! That is one reason Paul said, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete [it] until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6 NKJV).

My dear friends, if you are truly saved this day, you have reason to praise God because before you were saved you were dead in trespasses and sin. Look at the verses that precede the one above.

“And you [He made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:1-7 NKJV)

Can a dead man do anything? Of course he cannot. However, thanks go unto God in that He chose to show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

While praise is due God, that is no excuse to go on sinning. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound, God forbid,” declared Paul (Rom6:1-2). No indeed, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26-27 NKJV).

A wonderful transformation has occurred in the life of a believer; he is a new creation. No longer in bondage to sin a believer should offer thanks to God for the gift of eternal life that has set him free from the bondage of sin and death. Amen.