Lord's Day Grace

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

The grace of God is simply amazing. The Bible teaches us in 2 Corinthians 5:21; "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him". God Almighty made Jesus Christ - the perfect Lamb of God without spot or blemish - to be sin for us! Imagine this for a moment, of all the miracles described within the Holy Writ consider the importance of this singular example of God's tender mercy toward unregenerate mankind. For while we were yet His enemies, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:10)

Now there are those who would teach that man must add something to the work of the cross, that man must somehow add to or help complete the faithful work of Jesus Christ. They would veil this legalistic deception beneath layers of scripture which they claim shows man must work in order to earn some merit or good will from the Lord God Almighty. Oh the hubris! Oh the shame! How shallow is this lie! How vain! For you see it is the pinnacle and expression of man's sinful pride that says he has something worthwhile to offer the Creator and Judge of the universe! God Almighty is completely self-contained, self-sufficient and self-sustaining within Himself. He needs nothing whatsoever, otherwise he would not be qualified to be God.

It's certainly true that men who have been born-again of the Spirit of God through the free offer of salvation made available through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ will perform good works, yet as we clearly see from Epehesians 2:10 above, even these works are ordained of God.

Let us lay aside all pretense that there's anything good or worthwhile in and of ourselves. God Almighty in His good pleasure for His own glory has chosen that men might be saved and produce good fruit according to the outworking of His holy will. Anything good, anything worthwhile, any good fruit produced by man is possible only by the grace of God.

May we who are called by His name lift the Lord God Almighty up and esteem Him as the Most High in every area of our lives, our thought life, our prayer life, and our very worldview. May He be the sure foundation upon which we build our very lives for there is none like Him!