Grace is Knocking at Your Door

Ephesians 2:8, 9 - For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

    In these two verses I believe that we are given a pattern of the way that we have received and how we can continue to receive from God. By grace through faith is the pattern. Grace made salvation available and faith made salvation attainable. Grace provided the answer and faith appropriated it. It is not of myself, it is the gift of God. What is the gift of God? I believe that all of it is a gift; the salvation, the grace and the faith. None of this was of my own doing, I did not have grace or faith or salvation within me. It was given to me by a gracious act of God. It is not of works. It is not a result of man’s energy or action. Man cannot attain this on his own, it must be given and it must be received. Grace gives, faith receives. Obviously, the grace is not of ourselves. The word grace indicates that another person chose to act a certain way toward us. It is grace; God’s choice to love and to provide the solution regardless of our attitude toward him. For grace to be genuine grace it cannot be manipulated or coerced, it must be freely given. Grace is God’s attitude toward us, it is his stance and posture. He has the ultimate Father’s heart, always thinking of his children. Faith also, is a gracious gift enabling us to believe and to receive from him. Without faith I am not able to appropriate what has been provided. Grace offers, faith accepts. Grace delivers the goods, faith signs for it. Grace deposits into the bank, faith withdraws from it. Grace ensures that oxygen is available, faith breathes it in. By grace through faith.  Grace made salvation available two thousand years ago when you and I were not here. Quite obviously then, it is not of works. 

    Remember that we said that this is a pattern for our continued walk with God. Salvation is the all-inclusive word that gathers into itself all that God intended for us. Healing, deliverance, rescue, safety, preservation and soundness are all included. So we could say it like this; by grace are you healed through faith and that grace, that faith and that healing is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. By grace are you rescued through faith. By grace are you delivered through faith. We don't earn a single thing, it is all a gift. God’s grace is so big and so vast that he has provided everything and anything that we may need to live a full, productive and satisfying life. It has been made available for you and I; go ahead and receive. By grace through faith. Thank you, Jesus!