Saved By Grace Alone
Saved By Grace Alone
Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
I was raised in a traditional Irish, Catholic family in New York. We went to church every Sunday and I attended a Catholic Grammar School and High School, as well as a Jesuit College. I grew up knowing about Jesus. But as I realized later, never really having a relationship with him.
Without really understanding it, I was practicing a faith based upon works. That is why as I was in my 20’s, I really felt unconnected to my faith.
For me my life changed when I met my wife Janet back in 1990. During our first Christmas together, one of the presents that she gave me was a Study Bible. As I read the scriptures and the study notes, I came to understand that my salvation was not based upon me or anything I could accomplish. As Ephesians 2:8 says, we are all saved by the grace of God through faith in his son Jesus.
This is such a liberating statement. I do not have the daily pressure of trying to be good enough. Because I never will be good enough. But by placing my faith in Jesus, I am accepting the free gift that he has already given to all of us.
As we observe Jesus’s death on the cross on Good Friday and celebrate his Resurrection on Easter Sunday, it is good to remember that Jesus’s sacrifice was sufficient to save us from all of our sins. There is nothing more we need to do on our own. Our bill has been paid.
In gratitude for this free gift, we will want to serve Jesus to the best of our abilities. Not to earn grace, but as gratitude for the grace that has already been given to us.
Happy Easter
