Saved By Grace

Oct 30th, 2025
Eph 2:8,9
 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:.. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

What do we need to be saved from? The word saved implies that we need help, or we need to be recused. Saved from a life-threatening situation. When someone is lost in the mountains, a rescue team is sent out to save them and bring them back safely. Spiritually, we are all lost. Every human being born into this world is born with a sin nature. No matter where we were born, or who our parents are, we all must come to the realization that we are sinners, with a bent to satisfy the sinful flesh. As civilized human beings, we are also created in the image of God and God has instilled within each one of us a conscience to do good. But sin is ever present, tempting us to put ourselves and our wants first. Therefore, we need to be saved from this sinful nature, because sin will destroy and will eventually lead to eternal death (hell). We cannot redeem ourselves. No matter how many good deeds we do, it cannot save us from the sin that we were born with. Jesus came to earth and did many good works, but His main purpose in coming was more than just setting a good example of how to live, but He came to save us from our sin and set us free from the bondage of sin. So by the grace of God, God the Father sent His Son to die and pay the debt for the sins of the world. It is grace, a gift that we receive by believing that the blood that Jesus shed on the cross, giving His life, can and will bring forgiveness of sin. Many believe that their good deeds will outweigh their bad deeds and God will see all the good things they have done on earth and let them in through the gates of heaven. But the truth given to us in the Word of God is that there is only one way, and that is through the forgiveness of sin provided by Jesus Christ. Isaiah says, “All our righteousness are as filthy rags.” I have been to many memorial services, and the accolades of their good works are made known, and many truly were good and kind people, but salvation is not possible by good works lest any man should boast. A person who is saved through Christ will manifest good works. The Holy Spirit does a work in the believer, and the fruit of the Spirit will be manifested as they walk in the light of God. So good work is an outcome of our faith, and not the way to have eternal life after death. So faith in Christ is essential to salvation. His grace is sufficient to save us from all sin.

Living without Sin

 1 John 3:6
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

I am not a Greek scholar, but I desire to read God’s word with an open heart.  Sin takes place when we break God’s law. It is a willful transgression against the known will of God. We are born into this world with a sin nature, and we come to realize that we are spiritually lost without a Savior. Christ, who knows no sin, came to earth to give His life as the supreme sacrifice to forgive us of our sin. This is salvation in a nutshell. By confessing our sins to Christ, we have acknowledged that we are sinners. We now abide in Christ and have turned away from our sinful way. We no longer willfully commit sin when we abide in Him. A person who willfully goes against the known will of God is ignorant of God and God’s will to set them free from the bondage of sin. We realize that we are human and born into a world where sin is ever before us. Temptation is real and Satan is relentless in his attempt to cause a follower of Christ to violate one of God’s commandments to live holy and righteously in this present world. Many Christians have fallen for the traps of Satan and have fallen into sin. Many have made shipwrecks of their lives and have left the Way for whatever reason. It is not God’s will that any person be lost, but His will that we live in fellowship with Him. God’s word is full of dos and don'ts, and keeping track of every law leads one to live in bondage and fear, but Jesus simplified it all by telling us that the law can be wrapped up in two statements. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. So how does one live a life without sin? Are our words and actions pleasing to Jesus? The Holy Spirit came to dwell in us and to guide us in all we do. We sin not, because we know Him, and because we know Him and love Him, we desire to please Him.

Father of Sin

 John 8:44 (ESV)
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies

The Pharisees were the religious sector of the Jewish culture. They were charged with knowing the law and teaching it to the people. The problem with the Pharisees is that they were a bunch of hypocrites. They demanded that everyone else keep the law, but they were somehow immune or above having to keep it themselves. They finally came face to face with someone who would tell it like it is. They looked good on the outside, but inside they were full of sin and unrighteousness. Jesus did not mince words with them. He spoke the truth, and they were convicted and became defensive. They prided themselves on their lineage was traced back to the Patriarch, Abraham. The truth of the matter was they were not living the faith of Abraham. Claiming Abraham was their Father, Jesus denied that claim and revealed to them who their real Father was. Their spiritual lineage was rooted in sin, and their hearts were full of it. They were children of the devil, because sin still lived in their hearts. If they were to believe in the Son, then they could claim to be children of Abraham’s seed. By creation, we all are children of God, but the fall of Adam and Eve brought sin into the human race, and Satan is the Father of sin. Therefore, if we allow sin to abide in our hearts, then the devil is our Father. Jesus tells it like it is, but does not leave us without hope. Believe in the Son, believe in Jesus, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. We can be adopted into the family of God, and we can come boldly to the throne of grace, and call Him Abba Father!

Not By Our Works

 Titus 3:4,5
But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared,  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

It is a marvel to think that a holy God would consider dwelling with sinful humanity is beyond my comprehension. Man is inherently influenced toward selfishness. There is a part of man that desires to do good and will manifest this goodness through acts of mercy and human compassion. Humanity has the capacity to love, born from being made in the image of God. Civilization has worked to cultivate this goodness, creating laws and statues to help govern the behavior of people to act civilized. The influence of religious organizations has contributed to this influence by teaching us to be kind to each other. Jesus Himself, in the Sermon on the Mount taught us to love your neighbor as yourself. But being good is not enough, for all have sinned and come short of redemption. Our good works come short of meeting the requirement for atonement for sin. But God, in His tender mercy and love sent His Son to pay the price for our redemption. He died on the cross, the sinless One, the lamb of God who is able to take away the sins of the world paid the debt that was ours. Through His death and resurrection we now can have new life, The Holy Spirit is given to us, purifying our hearts by faith. The world is filled with good people doing their best, and only God knows the heart of man, but salvation does not come by good works that we have done, but by faith in the One who is able to save us to the utmost.

Reconcilation

 Romans 5:10
 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Basic Bible doctrine of the purpose of Jesus coming to earth, Why the Son of God was sent to walk the dusty roads of His own creation. Man’s disobedience caused him to fall away from a holy relationship with his Creator. All humans born into this world are born with the nature of sin in their heart, yet God left within man a desire to have fellowship with his creator. This is the struggle of good and evil. There is no amount of good that man can do to erase the evil (Sin) in the heart of man. To regain our relationship with our Creator and be reconciled, Christ had to die, pay the supreme sacrifice. We are made clean through the shed blood of Christ and now can come boldly to the throne of God. Reconciliation did not stop with his death, Jesus rose again from the grave that we could be saved by His life. Because He lives, we also can live a life that is holy and blameless without sin. I write nothing profound, I write the truth of God’s word, and I choose to believe it. Thanks be to God!

God Makes Everything Good

 Gen. 1:31

And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good…

From the beginning, we were created in the image of God. In the likeness of his holiness. Not created to be a god, but to have a relationship with a holy God. We were made good and without sin. “Everything He made was very good”. Good turned to bad when Adam and Eve yielded to temptation. Satan deceived them, causing them to disobey what God forbidden them to do. God’s good creation fell from having a good heart to a sinful heart of unbelief. The sin was not in the fruit, but in their unbelief to trust God and obey his commandments. This is a sad story given to us in His word. But, the story does not end there. Christmas came, and Christ was born. Born to save us from our sins. Restoring the goodness that we lost when He died and paid the supreme sacrifice for our sins. Sin has been nailed to the cross. The blood of Christ has been shed that we may once again have pure fellowship with the God of creation. We who were born in sin, can be made good when we accept Christ as our Redeemer and Savior. God is so good, and He makes everything good.

God of Mercy

 Psalm 103 
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy...For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him...As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
He is a God of mercy. His love reaches down to anyone who will call on His Name. We who are born in sin are found guilty and wanting. There comes a point in everyone’s life that they become accountable for the sin that dwells in their heart. God and His mercy does not exact judgment on those who have not reached the age of accountability. In His mercy, He sent His Son to die for our sins. Those who fear Him and call on His Name, He removes the guilt and condemnation. He will cast our sins as far as the east is from the west to remember them against us no more.

The Gift of God

Eph. 2:8,9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:..Not of works, lest any man should boast.

As good and kind as we try to be, it is not the key that unlocks the door to eternal life. By no fault of our own, we are all born in sin. The fall of Adam and Eve place the curse of sin on all humanity. At birth, lays within us an enmity against God that refuses to submit to the will of God. But God has also put in each of us a desire to know Him. The struggle between good and evil is the conflict of ages. The victory over evil cannot be achieved by doing or being good. Sin must be removed, sin must be cast out, sin must be destroyed. All our goodness and righteousness is but filthy rags, it will never be able to make us clean and fit. God so loved humanity, that He sent us a gift, His only Son, Jesus Christ to earth. His life paved the pathway giving us an example how to live good and righteous, but that example was not enough. The gift of God was to provide a way to remove sin. The propitiation was made, Christ died on the cross and shed His blood for our sin. By this grace are we now able to come boldly into God’s presence. This gift of God is only obtained through faith in believing that Jesus died for our sins and through His blood we are made clean. It is this grace that gives us the earnest desire to do good works and to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Doing what is right and good is product of our faith. Faith ceases to exist when our deeds become evil. It is the lost of faith that separates us from God, manifested by our works. No amount of works will save us without believe and accepting Jesus as our propitiation for sin.

Seeking The Lost

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

We all are lost. We entered this world not knowing that sin is rooted in the heart of all that are born to this life. Our personality may be formed and taught to be pleasant, good natured, and even kind, but the nature of sin still lives within each one of us. Like sheep without a shepherd, we wondered about life trying to find our way. The great shepherd of our soul, the Son of God came to earth as a man to seek and save us who are lost. The problem with most people is that they don’t think they are lost. They don’t accept that they need a God, for they are a God unto themselves. God sent His Son to give His life for the world. His coming was not just for a selected few who He choose to save. Being saved is to believe that we are lost and to believe that we can be found by believing in the only begotten Son of God, Jesus.

My Members

Roman 7:23 “ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”-

The battle between doing good and doing evil. Born of Adam’s race, we our all born with sin dwelling in our hearts. Before coming to Christ, our consciences convicted us when we would do wrong. To ease our guilt, we did our best to start doing right and commit our actions to works of righteousness. The struggle is real. We were born to serve God and the inward man that was born of God desires to please its Creator. It strives to live with a conscience that is void of offense. A new Christian who knows that Christ has forgiven their sins is quicken by the Spirit and is empowered to walk toward the light of God. A believer who is consecrated to God and who has given their life as a living sacrifice will rely solely on the Holy Spirit to overcome sin and self. Because we still are human with human desires, the temptation to do wrong will always be possible. Satan takes that which is good and will twist it for evil, but our members are yielded unto holiness and our hearts are changed to seek what God wants. 

From Death To Life

 From Death to Life

Born in Sin

Romans:3:23-For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 

We were conceived in sin and born into this world with the sin nature. As children, we were trained to suppress the nature of sin and discipline our lives to exhibit good behaviors. We came into the world as a self-centered being demanding the attention of others. Although involuntary, our human and sinful nature is focused on survival of self. 

Brought Up “Right”

 Eph. 1:8,9-For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

As we grow and mature, we begin to make voluntary choices. If we are trained properly, the choices we make will be founded on Biblical principles of right and wrong. It would seem, that if we continue on this path of doing good, that God would be pleased with us and for such good living we should not be denied the reward of eternal life. It is this premise that many in the world have rooted themselves in the soil of self-righteousness. As long as I am a good person who treats all mankind with love and respect, I have no need for any kind of savior. Religion (Salvation through Christ) is for those who have made bad choices in life and have messed up. This was the mentality of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and asked, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life”. He was raised in a good home that followed the moral standards of good behavior. What else did he need? 

Born Again- A man name Nicodemus

John 3:7- Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Nicodemus also inquired about the kingdom of God and seemed to understand that there was more to eternal life than living a good moral life. Unless made clear from the pulpits of churches, many find security in going to church following the creed of religious rituals, and adhere to exhortation of good behavior to obtain the approbation of God. 

Become a New Creature

2 Corinthians 5: 17-Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Eph. 2: 3- Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

The new life in Christ brings about many changes in the life of the believer. Some of these changes will occur instantly and others, like the metamorphosis of a butterfly will occur slowly over time. What kind of changes can a believer in Christ expect?

• A clean conscience- Guilt of sin is gone- Like Christian in PP- Load sin is gone
• Peace of mind- Anxiety of one’s eternal destiny is at rest
• Desire to talk with God- Sweet communion with the lover of your soul
• A need to be with God’s people- We have fellowship one with another
• Manifestation of the Fruit of the Spirit- often added to our faith/new life
• Lifestyle changes- With the help of the Holy Spirit and good Bible teaching, we begin to alter our conduct and behavior so as to be consistent with Biblical principles of godly living. Such changes are made willingly as individuals completely surrender their life to God is full consecration and abandonment to the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is given complete right away and control in all areas of a person's life. It is no longer my will, but the will of Him who gave His life for me that guides and directs life.