The Power of Grace
Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 22-24; Luke 12:1-31
It is by grace you have been saved, through faith. Ephesians 2:8
Today's Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-9
Insight
When C. S. Lewis was asked what makes Christianity unique, he didn’t hesitate: “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” God’s grace is the overarching theme of Ephesians 2. Paul points out how, without grace, we wouldn’t even be aware of our spiritual condition. “You [all of us] were dead in your transgressions and sins,” he wrote (v. 1). A dead body can do nothing to rescue itself. And we were all spiritually dead, “gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts” (v. 3). But God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (v. 5). It’s all God’s grace, “so that no one can boast” (v. 9). God’s grace draws us to Him. God’s grace keeps us. His grace sets us free “to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (v. 10).
When Mark was pulled over by an officer for driving while intoxicated, he was afraid his college football career was over. He was sure he was going to jail. But the policeman instead dropped him off at his college. When Mark asked why, he said, “I’m giving you grace.”
Still, the young man was certain his coach would find out, and he’d lose his scholarship. So when his coach asked to see Mark after practice the next day, he was very apprehensive. Surprisingly the coach said, “I know what happened last night, but I’m giving you grace.” He then suggested that Mark consider attending church the next Sunday.
He went. And guess what the pastor talked about? The grace of Jesus in offering us salvation when we don’t deserve it. Mark got the message. That day, he trusted Jesus as Savior, and he spent the rest of his life serving Him—starting a ranch for boys who need a second chance—who need grace.
It’s by God’s grace that believers in Jesus “have been saved” (Ephesians 2:8). Grace does what good works can’t do (v. 9; Romans 11:6). It’s a gift provided by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
The burden of our sin doesn’t have to weigh us down. As Mark discovered, God’s grace can free us and give us life “to the full” (John 10:10).
Reflect & Pray
How have you experienced God’s grace in your life? What are some ways you can show it to others?
Dear God, thank You for showering Your grace on me. Please help my life to be marked by grace and mercy.
Visit go.odb.org/041326 to learn about the extent of God’s grace in offering us salvation.