Saved From Death For FreeSample

Countercultural

In a Reader’s Digest interview, Muhammad Ali said, “One day we’re all going to die, and God is going to judge us—[our] good deeds and bad deeds. If the bad outweighs the good, you go to hell. If the good outweighs the bad, you go to heaven.”

Ali’s statement expresses the nearly universal belief of humans all over the world that they must earn their way to heaven. In fact, it is quite likely that you held this opinion before you came to

Christ. Every religion in the world holds this view in one form or another. Every religion except one: Christianity.

Jesus teaches us that we could never be good enough to earn salvation. We need a Savior who will be a substitute for us, who will die in our place and give us life. Jesus teaches grace, not works.

Grace is countercultural. Grace is counterintuitive. Grace is counter to all human pride. The Bible teaches grace. 

Perhaps the most emphatic passage on grace in the Bible is Ephesians 2:8-9. In just two verses, one sentence, there is a sixfold emphasis that we are saved by grace, not works:

1. “For by grace you have been saved.” We are saved by God’s grace, God’s free gift of life to undeserving people.

2. “Through faith.” We are saved through trust in Christ, not by our own efforts. We transfer trust from self to Jesus.

3. “And this is not your own doing.” We do not save ourselves. God saves us. We can take no credit.

4. “It is the gift of God.” Salvation is God’s gift, not my work.

5. “Not a result of works.” In case we are not crystal clear, God reiterates that we are not saved by our good works, our churchmanship, or our religious efforts.

6. “So that no one may boast.” If we earned our salvation, or if we even contributed to our salvation, then there would be some grounds to boast. But alas, there are no grounds for boasting. God did it all.

Could God be more emphatic? Yet human pride still resists the message of grace.

Don’t resist the gospel message of grace.

God does it all. We are saved by grace alone through faith, and by faith alone in Christ. Christ alone. Glory in God’s grace. Glory!