Ephesians 2:8-10 All of Grace

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.   Ephesians 2:8-10, ESV.
 
There are few passages in the Bible more often quoted and preached than this one, and with good reason. One of the hardest things for mankind to understand is that the God who sees our sin so clearly and finds it so offensive could rescue us from its consequences without requiring something from us in exchange. In our commercial culture, we often struggle to believe that the greatest benefit available to anyone could come at absolutely no cost. Grace is amazing.
 
Christian, if you are saved at all, you are saved by grace through faith. Even if you do good works, none of them are good enough. You are rescued from the consequences and power of sin by an act of God on your behalf. It is a salvation that you do not deserve in the slightest but can receive as you trust in Christ. God can forever boast that He saved you. You can never boast that you are worth saving.
 
There is more! As a result of the gracious nature of our salvation, we are made wonderfully new. We are made useful to God by His own handiwork, for the accomplishment of good works. He had a plan to use us for His glory before He saved us and, having saved us, He is putting that plan into action. We are made into perfect instruments in the hands of a perfect Master. Thus, even our good works bring Him glory—not us.
 
I pray that you will be driven this very day to adoration, thanksgiving, praise, and obedience as you consider the remarkable grace God has shown to you.
 
Pastor Don