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I remember talking to an elderly man about whether he was ready to die. He told me, "I have always tried to do the best I could. I have attended church regularly, I have been baptized, I have given regularly to the church, and if I am not going to get to heaven, nobody will get there."
We read in Eph. 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Grace is everything for nothing. It is helping the helpless, going to those who cannot come in their own strength. Grace sets aside my unrighteousness and the punishment I deserve, and gives me a righteousness I do not deserve. God owes me nothing but He offers me complete salvation. That is grace.
We often fall into the trap of thinking the Christian life is some big effort on our part, something we do. No! It is something God has done, and what He is doing, and will do in and through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Salvation cannot be of works because the work of salvation has already been completed on the cross. When Jesus cried on the cross, "It is finished!" the veil of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom, signifying that the way to God was open. There is no more need for earthly sacrifices.
Grace means God does it all for Jesus' sake. Our salvation is the gift of God. To receive this gift you need to pray this prayer from your heart; "Dear Lord Jesus. I know I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust You as my Saviour and follow You as my Lord."
This is the most important decision you can make in your life. As a result you will experience what the Bible says in Eph. 2:4-5a. and vs. 6. "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... and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
To grow in grace you will want to know more about Jesus, more of His saving fullness, more of His love. Spend time in the Bible and then you will grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Frank Eidse
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