03/22/2023
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)✨
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Grace is all-inclusive and free for all. Faith is activated by the one who knit us together in the womb and has chosen us as His own. “Faith is the act of our soul that turns away from our own insufficiency to the free and all-sufficient resources of God,” John Piper wrote.
“Whatever goodness faith sees, it sees as the fruit of grace.”
God doesn’t choose to use people to further His good purposes based on their merit, but on His goodness and mercy. In the Old Testament, God worked through dysfunctional kings and prophets who had fears and hang-ups. In the New Testament, He chose Paul -who persecuted Christians - to establish churches and record a bulk of the New Testament.
We often fall victim to the misconceived notion we have to be better than the rest to be used by God. However, every person He chooses to accomplish big things, through both testaments of Scripture and beyond, were and are flawed. Saved by grace means Grace is free. No one is required to work earn it or retain it. It is an all-inclusive, no-strings-attached, free gift from God.
“Our faith is a gift of God. It is a divine creation. It is the work of grace when we were dead. It is not ‘from ourselves,’” John Piper explains. “Therefore, our faith is the mark of being chosen by God. He chose us to give us faith.” God’s character exudes His grace in that He chooses to show us kindness through salvation, even though we don’t deserve and could never earn it.
The Greek translation of saved conveys saving, safety, and rescue from danger or destruction. Our state without salvation is dangerous and destructive. Even in Christ, we are subject to the elements of this fallen world. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible points out “sincere righteousness flows from a transformed heart.” - Meg Bucher