Grace is free

Can I just begin by saying that I absolutely LOVE what I get to do everyday? It’s true. In a world where many people either hate their jobs or just grin and bear it, I really do love what I get to spend my days doing. And what is it that I get to do that I love so much?

I get to tell people about Jesus.

Whether it is from a platform or from my living room couch, in a coffee shop or in a church, over the phone or over a delicious slice of pie, this is what I love. I would choose to do this. It’s not forced upon me. Nobody told me that I had to. I’m passionate about pointing people to the author of grace, and I cannot imagine doing anything else for the rest of my life.

This is where I want to start our conversation today—Grace. Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with a group of people that do not share the same beliefs which I do, and for almost four hours, we dialogued through the Scripture and talked about Jesus. And while the conversation didn’t end in conversion, it did end on grace.

“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 (NIV)

Grace alone saves. What freedom is found in just those three words. I’ll say it again. Grace alone saves. The reason why this conversation is so important is because it is vital to our relationship with Christ. Both inside and outside of Orthodox Christianity, there exists a heavy weight of religion, and I continue to see how God’s people are oppressed under its burden—a constant striving to do more, to be more, to achieve more, and the exhaustion that inevitably follows this endless pursuit of trying to be “good enough.”

Works do not save us. Grace does. Living a “good enough” life does not secure our salvation. Grace does. Endless amounts of serving and giving do not save us a spot in heaven. Grace does. Jesus Christ has and always will call us into a relationship with Him, not into religion. Religion emphasizes all that YOU must do in order to secure good standing with God, and while our works are evidences of genuine, saving faith (James 2:17, 26), they, in and of themselves, do not save us, nor are they able to. Our works are simply expressions of the grace, faith, and salvation that we have received, the overflow of a blessed life.

Grace alone secures our fate. Religion emphasizes your works. Relationship emphasizes God’s work which has already been accomplished on the cross. And the work of Jesus Christ on the cross was sufficient. There is no need to add to it. It was enough. To demand additional works in order to secure salvation only diminishes Christ’s sufficient sacrifice.

Why?

Because grace is free. It is unmerited favor. It is getting what you don’t deserve. It is God’s love and forgiveness being lavishly poured out onto sinful man. Grace cannot be earned or deserved. It is a gift of God. All we have to do is receive it.

Why is this so hard for us to grasp?

Because we live in a world where nothing is for free. We have to work for and earn the things we want. Whenever someone offers us something for free, our almost immediate reaction is, “What’s the catch?” Am I right? But here’s the beautiful truth. There is no catch with God’s grace. It’s a free gift, a gift that He extends to you today. All you have to do is reach out and grab it.

“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 (NIV)