The Grace of Christ

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

8: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

9: not by works, so that no one can boast.

When I was a young girl, I went to a church where people would often share testimonies about how they used to live in sin and how, after accepting Jesus, their lives changed completely. I would sit there in the service and think to myself: I do not do any of the things they were talking about. I was the perfect, well-behaved girl, so I thought I did not need to accept Jesus.

As I grew older and learned more about the Bible and Jesus, I realized how wrong I had been. We are all born sinners; by our very nature, we fall short of God’s holiness and do not deserve His favor or love. Yet, in His infinite mercy, God sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. This act of love is not something we can ever earn; it is a gift of grace. By placing my faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, I am able to accept this grace—the unearned love and kindness of God—and become His child, welcomed into the Father’s embrace.

There is nothing I can do—no works, no deeds, no acts of kindness—that can ever measure up to God’s grace. This, my brothers and sisters, is the amazing and boundless Grace of God, given freely through Christ.

Father God, we thank You for Your unfailing love and for the grace we do not deserve. Thank You for opening our hearts and helping us see You for who You truly are—the God who loves us without condition. Help us to live our lives in total obedience to You, always mindful of the precious gift of Your grace. These things we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Elder Elaine Hinds