Saved by Grace

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

Lately I have noticed an abundance of teachings about the cost of being a disciple of Christ. Jesus calls His followers to lay down everything for Him. I want to clear something up for you, though.

It's by grace that you are saved.

You will never be good enough, courageous enough, selfless enough to earn your salvation. Our good deeds are to be overflow of our love and praise for God. We love God, we serve Him, and we follow Him because He has redeemed us, not the other way around. I've heard people say that "easy believism" is heresy; but I think the Bible is pretty clear...

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9

I want you to see the goodness of God's grace, the sovereignty of His plan. When you realize the magnitude of God and the glory He deserves, service, love, and obedience for Him will come as a natural result of that! The things you do for God have nothing to do with you being saved.

NOTHING.

However, if you are a Christian and you aren't serving God out of a willing heart, aren't obeying His word, and aren't seeking to know Him more, then you need to check yourself.
Take some time today to bask in the love and grace of our great Savior!

Your sister in Christ,
Becky