Day 38: Saved Through Faith
Ephesians 2:8-10
Ephesians 2:8-10 makes simple the reality of the good news of Jesus. It cannot be earned in any way. It is a gift of grace, the unmerited favor of God. A gift must be received from the giver—in this case, through faith in the Gift Giver, Jesus.
How do you know that you have received this gift via grace instead of striving in human effort? Verse 10 makes this plain—a transformed life.. In Jesus, by grace and faith, we become God’s workmanship or masterpiece. He molds us to become in all ways like Jesus, and this is the evidence that we are doing so by grace, not works.
I once read that only grace can change us in the consistent way we desire. Putting off the old self and its propensity towards works is critical to growth in grace, which only comes by grace in the first place. This truly is a wonderful gift of grace that saves us but also sanctifies us.
We can never embrace grace too much nor can we be too ruthless to eliminate any sort of works mentality we may have. This personal experience radically impacts our attitude and motivation towards evangelism. Having drunk from the well of grace, we cannot help but tell others. If evangelism is lacking in your life, look to grace. It will change your practice in amazing ways.
Reflection Prayer
Jesus, thank You for Your gift of grace. Help us to drink this gift deeply and in so doing, find a compelling reason and a transformative message to give to friends, family, and coworkers. The message of Your grace is given through the gospel. Help us to eliminate a works mentality from our lives so that we can find the freedom of being transformed. Amen.
Week 6: Evangelize Now
Week 6 will remind us of the urgency of evangelism.