Ephesians 2:8-9
“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”.
Sitting nervously in the car park watching people walk into church one Sunday, Susan said to me, “How can I go in there, I’m not like those other women”. When I asked her what she meant, Susan explained to me that she didn’t feel as though she was as good as the other women who go to church. In her eyes they seemed to do the right thing and had lived their lives a lot differently to her.
In that moment I saw what was holding Susan back from experiencing a real relationship with Jesus. Susan believed she had to be a good person or do the right thing to be good enough for God and good enough to go to church.
Can you see the lie Susan was believing? This is a lie the enemy wants us to believe because deep down, whether we say it or not, we all know that we have messed up. We know we have sinned and fall short of Gods perfect standard.
Today God wants you to help people understand the truth of Ephesians 2:8-9 that says:
“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.”
The truth is that no amount of good works saves us or makes us good enough for God. It’s by his grace and his grace alone we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
The truth is that no amount of good works saves us or makes us good enough for God. It’s by his grace alone we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
I turned to Susan that morning and explained it is most likely that every other woman walking into church has felt like her before. But the good news for us all is that it’s by Gods amazing grace that we have been saved and are made right in his eyes. There is nothing any of us can do to earn Gods love and forgiveness. The good news is God offers us forgiveness as a gift, not because we are good enough or deserve it but because he loves us. All we need to do is receive his gift to us by faith – trusting our lives to him.
I went on to explain to Susan that the women she is judging herself against are no better than she is—they also needed Gods saving grace. They now try to live their lives in response to Gods love for them.
Who in your life feels unworthy to be loved by God?
Who do you know that is striving to live a life that is “good enough”for God?
Maybe the people you know express their belief about being good enough differently to Susan. Maybe they think the roof will cave in if they go to church or think heaven won’t accept them. In any case, they need you to help them understand the truth!
Take time now to memorise Ephesians 2:8-9. Then ask God for an opportunity to share the truth of his grace and our need to respond through faith.