Living by Grace

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“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14

“You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:4

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” Titus 2:11-12

Grace is God’s gift to you, and by choosing to have faith in Christ, you can access this gift He offers you. You can’t access God’s grace by going to church, reading your Bible, praying, or trying to become a better person. All of your life, whether you realize it or not, you were trying to earn your salvation by being a “better person” until you received grace to believe in Christ.

It can be easy to “fall from grace” even after you believe. Though you have believed in Christ for salvation, there is a tendency to think that the more you do for Christ, the “higher up in the kingdom” you can go. It could be that you're thinking if you have sinned less, or helped someone that day, that God will give you extra favor as a result. 

If you are thinking that God gives extra favor because of the things that you do, then you have failed to believe in the grace of God that is yours as a follower of Christ. Jesus doesn’t want you to be able to boast in your ability to follow Him or be a “good Christian.” He wants you to realize that all you do as a believer is a result of receiving His grace, just as you received your salvation by grace through faith, by believing in Him.

As you access grace, you actually set yourself up to be free from the power of yourself and your own strivings. You will not have to fear that you will lose God’s approval in your life as His approval will never leave you. As you humble yourself to God, then He will do the work for you and in you. 

Prayer:

“Thank You, God, for Your grace. Thank You for giving me the grace to live the Christian life. Thank You for extending grace to others. God, help me to live by Your grace in the days ahead. Amen.”