Day 4 - Week 70 - Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I'm found; was blind, but now I see!


Grace...it is amazing, isn't it? It's so amazing, that we really don't even fully understand it.

We, at our worst, are given this amazing gift from God...unmerited, totally undeserved grace. We exhibit faith, and God showers us with His amazing grace. Grace that covers all of our sinfulness and writes off our unworthiness.  Grace that transforms our imperfection into God's holiness.

What does God expect from us in response to His amazing gift? He expects us to, in turn, gift others with similar grace...never can it match the gift that He gives, but in some small way it can emulate His graciousness and others may start to see the grace in us as something unusual in this grace-less world of ours.

For our world does not too easily dispense grace, does it? More often than not, we experience (and deal out) critical responses and reactions to our shortfalls and errors, giving those around us "just what they deserve."  But when we extend the hand of grace to someone in even a small manner...overlooking an intentional slight; ignoring a hurtful comment; not calling attention to a missed step; and then in larger ways...forgiving betrayal; relinquishing our desire for revenge for deep hurts...then we have exhibited to others that we truly understand grace----that we really get it.  We get the amazing ability not to deal out what may be "deserved"...we have been gifted, and we can in turn gift others.

When Jesus told the parable of the unmerciful servant who had been forgiven a great debt and then in turn forced the hand of someone who owed him a pittance, He was teaching us that the grace that we have been given should be recognized for the great gift that it is, and that we in turn should be ready to show grace to those in our lives who may not have done everything to meet our expectations.  Who are we to hold anyone to a standard of perfection when we have fallen so short?

Amazing grace --- be amazed by it, and amaze others with it.  Once you have received it, don't keep it to yourself!  Pass it on in Jesus' name...what a great opportunity to explain this amazing gift to someone who needs to hear of it's availability....through faith!

Day 3 - Week 70 - Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift."

"Of the things which I have spoken unto you these many years, this is the sum.  Within the circle of these word (Ephesians 2:8) my theology is contained, so far as it refers to the salvation of men."  Charles Spurgeon

The theology of Christianity is, in all essence, a fairly simple one.  So simple, in fact, that some people just can't believe that subjects as seemingly complex as God, eternity, the meaning of life, and the idea of the gift of salvation, can be viewed in a manner that even a child can start to understand.  That the truths that we need to start our journey of faith can be viewed by looking at the night sky, the wonders of nature, the birth of a child (Romans 1). 

Spurgeon states that his theology was thoroughly contained in Ephesians 2:8...that God's gift of salvation is given to mankind as a gift, unearned, unmerited and attained solely through faith in Him.  If we believe this, then we have the foundation for a faith that will be built on through the remaining days of our lives and will allow us to live those days in a joyful, prayerful, thankful (rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything) existence, knowing that we have been redeemed and restored to relationship with God our Father and that we will remain in that relationship as long as we keep our faith in Him alive.  And this redemption and relationship is nothing that is attained, nothing that we work for, nothing that we may have one day and the next day, due to our poor performance of the previous day, be in danger of losing.  Faith in God brings to us God's gift of salvation, because He loves us.

If we couple this verse with John 3:16 what a powerful theological statement they make...

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.  For by grace you are saved, and this is not of yourselves; it is God's gift.

Now we can try to complicate it, but the way I read it is that God wants us to know that He's so very ready to accept us when we acknowledge Him and the tremendous gift He has extended to us.

Christ came, He died and rose again.  He told those around Him who He was and why He had come to the earth...they believed...and in spite of persecution and eventual martyrdom, they discipled others...they too believed...the community of believers grew...they became known as Christians.  Throughout the ages others believed.  God's plan was at work, has been at work and is still at work.  People still believe, and others still continue to come to belief. 

Yes, every day throughout this crazy world of ours, God's gift continues to be discovered.  Salvation has come!  And it has not come because of me, or because of you, but because of God's love manifested through Jesus Christ...it is God's gift.