June 21

Depending upon your point of view, the scripture found in Ephesians 2:8 is among the most comforting or among the most troubling in the Word. It says, “For it is by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Those who feel ‘good’ people go to heaven by virtue of their works are blown away by the revelation in this passage. In fact, many who strive to live moral lives refuse to receive the insight revealed here. It is beyond their ability to conceive that salvation cannot be earned.

Though we must study to earn good grades, work hard to earn recognition in our profession, exceed our competition to attain promotion, invest wisely to accrue value to our investments, there is literally nothing we can do to gain eternal salvation. We do not earn salvation through our good works. It is not our just compensation for playing by God’s rules as we understand them. Salvation is His gift to us.

When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are covered by His grace; we are washed clean of sin by His shed blood. That thought points us very clearly to the realization of our insufficiency to attain salvation through our own efforts. This knowledge will become our devastation if we insist that our own merit saves us. This knowledge will become our hope and peace of eternal reward if we simply receive it.