Knowing God’s Marvelous Grace

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV)

When I was in high school, a family friend, who had become like a surrogate grandmother, gifted my sisters and I a car.

I came home from school one day, and the car was sitting in our driveway. Assuming it belonged to some visitors, I came into the house curious as to who was there. I heard the voice of this friend with her scruffy, unforgettable laugh, and I smiled, excited to chat with her for a few minutes.

I sat down with our friend and my parents, and rather quickly this dear, older widow said to me, “What do you think of the car in the driveway?” Not suspecting anything like what was about to come out of her mouth, I simply said, “It’s cool.”

She replied, “And it’s yours.”

I gasped and screamed, and almost immediately asked her what I should give her for it. Even in my joy, my instinct was to pay. She responded emphatically that it was a gift for me and my sisters, and she was delighted to give it to us. The broad smile across her face proved the authenticity of her words.

This woman who had the means to do something like this, delighted in giving us something we could not gift ourselves. But imagine with me if I insisted on paying her, a widow who simply did not need the money. Not only would it have offended our generous friend, but the precious gift would stop being a gift.

This is the kind of disposition we sometimes have in our relationship with Jesus. He offers us salvation through Christ – a free and undeserved gift that we could never give ourselves. But we in turn say, “But let me just help a little. Let me add something – earn part of it.”

These verses in Ephesians, written by the Apostle Paul, remind us that we cannot pay for what has already been purchased. On the cross, Jesus paid for our sins in full. We cannot contribute to that salvation any more than I could have paid for that car. It’s done, and it’s paid for by the grace of God.

For every Child of God, that grace is unearned favor. Not deserved. Not achieved. Not maintained by performance. And it is received “through faith.” Faith is not work we do to earn something. It’s an open hand receiving the gift that God delights to give us. If we could earn it, heaven would be a mere trophy room, but it’s not. It’s a place that is filled with testimonies of God’s redeeming and undeserved grace.

If you believe that you are “good enough,” grace humbles us because we bring nothing to the table but need. If you live in shame, fearing that you are “too far gone,” grace comforts us because salvation depends on Jesus alone, not on our past.

How do we respond to such marvelous grace? Abide in Christ. Lean into him and seek to learn more about him. He desires a deep relationship with you. We rest before our heavenly Father with open hands, not with awards that showcase our achievements. And in that humility, we hear grace-filled words: You belong. And not because of what you have done, but because of what Jesus has already finished on the cross.

Reflect: Ask yourself: Am I trying to impress God? Do I believe he loves me because of Christ or because of my effort and good deeds? And then read these words from Ephesians, asking Jesus to help them reach deep into your heart that you might rest in his grace.