Defiantly, Unashamedly, Generously — Extend Grace Generously - Wednesday
TODAY’S VERSE
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. (ESV)
My wife Hannah and I have four kids, with our two-year-old son Nathan being the youngest. In a mix of youngest child, toddlerhood, and being a boy, Nathan finds his fair share of trouble — or should we say, adventure? He is full of life, and I love it! At the same time, it also drives me crazy — especially the messes he can make. He’s a big fan of throwing food, coloring all over the table instead of his paper, stealing UNO cards from the table and spreading them throughout the couch cushions; the list goes on! And through the chaos, he keeps a giant smile on his face.
Recently, Nathan opened one of his siblings' water bottles and had a blast pouring it all over himself and our kitchen floor. When I found him splashing away in his newly made puddles, I firmly said, “Nathan, I’m going to need you to clean this up” and handed him a towel. Not even 5 seconds later, he returned holding a barely damp towel and said, “I did it!” I then took the towel from him, finished the job, and dried up the remaining water on the floor.
“I did it!” It’s one of those fun phrases a toddler learns, and it’s really cute to hear them say it when they may or may not have actually “did” much. You’re getting to watch them learn basic human tasks at an incredibly inefficient rate, but you see the small wins as they grow.
It’s a little less cute when we as adults try to say it to God when it comes to earning our salvation. And it usually sounds something like this:
“I read my Bible and prayed today, God. I did it!”
“I’ve gone two weeks without committing that one sin. I did it!”
“I cleaned my life up, God. I did it!”
When it comes to the mess our life was before we met Jesus, there was actually nothing we did in the cleansing process. Jesus’ work on the cross is the sole cleanser. Paul tells us frankly in Ephesians, “This is not your own doing.” We have been saved by the grace of God. When we receive that grace through faith, that’s when we are all cleaned up by Jesus.
It can be easy to want to earn this gift or prove ourselves worthy, yet every one of our efforts will fall short. But tomorrow, we’ll talk about the good works God plans for us because He already loves and wants to include us on His mission. But first, we must receive the greatest gift anyone has ever offered: the saving grace of Jesus.
APPLICATION
Reflect on where you are tempted to earn the approval of God. Bring those circumstances to God and ask Him to help you serve Him out of an overflow of His love and response to His mission.
PRAYER
God, thank You so much for Your saving grace! Remind me that there was nothing I did to earn Your salvation. Help me share this grace with everyone I encounter today. Amen.