Without a doubt, we are saved solely by the grace of God; there is nothing we can ever do to earn our salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). On our own, we are all disqualified from salvation, because each of us has sinned and fallen short of God’s standard for eternal life (Romans 3:23). If not for the loving grace and mercy of God, we would all be lost and without hope. Thanks to His love though, we need not despair.
Because of His amazing grace and the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, we can be saved from the hopelessness of sin. We can have hope because death is not the end for those who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. I believe the sincerity of our faith is proven by doing the work He has given us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Our salvation is free, but it is not cheap.
Luke 17:10 says when we have done what Jesus commanded us to do, we should not look for praise, but rather admit our unworthiness of His grace and simply say that we have only done our duty. His love for us compels us to do all He asks us to do. The reward of obedience to our Lord is enough. If we never received anything else for our servitude to Christ, we still would receive far more than we could ever deserve, hope, or imagine. The presence of God in our daily lives is more than humbling. The thought of spending eternity in His presence is overwhelming.
Doing the work God has given us to do proves our love for Him. We cannot take His gift of grace for granted. He gives it to the sincere and humble of heart. If we think we can take the gift of His grace and then go on with life as usual, we are tragically mistaken. The love of God compels us to love others. In fact, John – who was the closest friend of Jesus when He was on earth – makes it clear anyone who says they love God but doesn’t love others, does not, in fact, love God (I John 2:9-11). You cannot have love for one without the other. The grace of God in your life changes everything.
Paul tells us we have indeed been saved by grace, but that grace was given to us so we would go about doing the work Christ gave us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10). God’s grace is the enabler for us to continue His mission. Each of us has been created with a unique blend of talents, skills, and passions. The grace of God activates all those things in our lives so they can be used for His glory.
Don’t waste your life thinking since you’ve received the grace of God you don’t need to do anything else. This kind of thinking and living is not found in the Bible. There’s no such thing as a free pass in life. If you want to fulfill your potential and live your life to the fullest extent, you need to get busy doing the work God has given you to do. This isn’t about Heaven or Hell. It’s about recognizing the incredible gift of grace offered to you at no charge. It’s about responding by living your life so in love with Jesus you can’t help but do whatever He asks you to do. The love of God is beyond words. He gave His life as a ransom for your own. Receive His gift today and spend your life doing the work you are privileged to do on His behalf.