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HELEN SANDERS
2-7-2023
THE GRACE OF GOD
In Ephesians 2:8-9 it says, “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.”
The word grace comes from the Greek word charis. It means benefit, favour, gift,
Thank(s, worthy). It also has been defined as God’s unmerited favor.
The Jews were under the law which was achieved by doing works. Yet, these things never gave them salvation. The law was a schoolteacher that showed them what sin was. It was to teach them that they could never be good enough to receive total forgiveness for their sin. Their sin was only covered year by year by the priest through a sacrifice of an innocent animal.
Grace is never earned; it is a free gift from God. It was bought and paid for by Jesus by his shed blood. We should never take it for granted. The price paid to receive it was the highest price of all, the shedding of sinless, innocent blood.
Grace does not mean that we can continue in our sins. That is a misconception. Because of the grace we have been given, out of love for God we choose to do the right thing. We choose to deny ourselves to sin and choose to repent when we do sin. We choose to crucify our flesh and live by the spirit.
No one deserves grace. But thank God that we have been given this gift.
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