Day 6: God is Gracious

"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

Ephesians 2:1 tells us that we are dead in our sin. This tells us that we are unworthy of saving and are incapable of earning our salvation. This is where grace comes in– without God's grace, we would suffer an eternity apart from God. Through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, God chose to pardon our sin and extend the free gift of salvation to us. This truth should leave us utterly dumbfounded.

Grace doesn't minimize or set aside the dreadful reality of our sin. It shows us the depth of our sin by reminding us that it was costly for someone else. Yes, grace is a free gift for us, but it had to be paid for by someone else. In order for us to receive grace, Jesus had to pay the heavy price to redeem us from our sin. We must not forget the severity of our sin because we risk losing the awe and beauty of the grace given to us. When we come to grips with the depth of our sin and how utterly undeserving we are, that's when we can confidently sing "amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me."

Walk-in freedom today, knowing that your sins were paid for by Jesus Christ and that you have received newness of life by God's grace. When we remember the grace that we have received from God, it should change the way we live. "Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! "(Rom. 6:1). Grace should motivate us to pursue holiness. It helps us to say no to ungodliness and helps us to put on the righteousness of Christ. God is always at work in us, making us look more like Christ, but we must choose to put off sin and put on godliness. And it is by His grace that we can do such things. And don't keep this truth yourself, tell others about it! The truth about God's grace is what they need to hear.

Prayer

Father, thank you for this free gift of grace. Help me understand that grace was free for me but costly for You. Thank you for sending Jesus to pay that price for me. Forgive me when I forget about your grace. Help me to remember the seriousness of my sin and the awesome beauty of your grace. I don't want to forget these things. Help me walk in these truths today and live in a way that displays and declares your grace to all people. Use me to share this with the people in my life today. Thank you for your salvation, favor, and kindness in my life today.