By Grace We Have Been Saved

Grace, the unmerited favor of God.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8

I just finished listening to an Austin Stone podcast from 12/22/07 which focused on the gift of God's grace, and I feel compelled to share my thoughts and feelings about the sermon. The verse in Ephesians (above) really captures the essence of the message, which discusses how glorious it is that God's calls on us personally in our lives. Matt Carter (the pastor at the Stone) says that there are two ways that we see God call on his people, by invitation and effectually. The latter of the these is when God literally compels us to action by picking us up and moving us in our lives. Matt uses the story of Lot leaving Sodom and Gomorrah from Genesis to describe effectual calling. Although God had sent angels to tell Lot to leave the city, "...Lot still hesitated, [and] the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful." (Genesis 19:17). Sometimes we ignore God's calling or we are confused about what He is saying to us, but God has a plan for us and He will ensure that this plan comes in to fruition.

Another point which Matt drives in the sermon is that God has abundant compassion on our lives, and He picked us up out of our sins and He sanctified us. We have been called by God in our lives to be righteous, holy people, and it is so important that we do not forget about this calling. Romans 8:28 says "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." God has had mercy on our lives, and it is by His grace that we were saved. Matt tells a story about a time when he was pulled over by a police officer for an expired registration sticker, and while he definitely deserved the ticket, the officer had mercy on him and let him go with only a warning. He then goes on to explain that this story does not illustrate grace, but instead depicts the officer having mercy on Matt. The difference is that grace is when you receive something that you do not deserve, as opposed to not receiving something that you do deserve. I've been thinking about the differences between the two, mercy and grace.

How often is it that we give to others when they do not deserve it? Before I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, I was a sinner, dead in my transgressions (Ephesians 2:1). I did absolutely nothing to merit the love and glory of God, and He called me to be a follower of His word nonetheless. I think that it is important for us, as Christians, to display this same love to people in our lives by giving abundantly to others, even those whom we do not think are deserved. With this said, I challenge myself, and others, to try to do something helpful and generous in order to try to display Jesus' love through our lives. In Peter 2:21, the Bible says that "For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps."

I pray that these words penetrate your heart, and that this challenge may mean as much to you as it does to me.

In His name,
Ailee