Am I? Are You? #12

I Am… Saved by Grace — Ephesians 2:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

Probably, the most well-known verse about salvation is John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This is good news indeed, if one can believe it. In fact, believing is the key to the door (John 10:7, Hebrews 11:6). Ephesians 2:8 uses the word faith. Others relate this fact by using the word trust, which is backed up by Romans 15:13, among many other passages.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Why so many different expressions? Are we not clear on the premise? How could we be? Plumbing the depths of this astounding gift requires more meditation and resulting revelation than we could receive during the days alloted to a mortal lifetime. I have found increasing faith, deepening belief, and growing trust with no practical end of the quest in sight. The reason for this delightful endlessness is that an aspect of of salvation is that we are coming to be in Him (Acts 17:28) and He is without limit. Eternal. Omniscient. Omnipotent. Omnipresent. He is all of these things and He is love (1 John 4:8).

I have heard grace defined as “unmerited favor.” Merriam Webster has the first entry as: “unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification”. Unmerited is right. Scripture aside, I only have to look back on my own path to recognize that truth. The scripture, of course, bears this out too.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

I am grateful that Ephesians 2:8 is explicit in pointing out that salvation is His work and is a gift to us. Yes, we have to believe. If we come to recognize Him at all, belief is a very low threshold.

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30

It is finished. I love this passage! No more work required. If I think by my works I am going to add something, I am painfully deluded and lacking in faith.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, Philippians 2:12

So what does “work out your salvation” mean? To me, it signifies that journey of trying to understand, and endeavoring to make my actions line up with the truth revealed in the scripture. “Am I? Are You?” Why fear and trembling? Because. Sometimes I act like I am insane. I do things that are counter to the Truth (capital T, as in “I Am the Truth”). I can’t even claim that I don’t know any better.

I am grateful for this too:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18

I need that power to restore me to sanity.

Finally, I want to observe this:

so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28

Though His sacrifice is finished (complete), He is not done with me yet. Nor, I suspect, is he done with you.