Salvation by Grace without Boasting of Human Merits

Grace

(Ephesians 2:7-9)

No matter how great our spiritual knowledge may be or how much works of service we do in church, it cannot determine our salvation. Human deeds – no matter how exceptional they are – cannot take the place of God’s grace.

1. Grace Must Be Preserved until the End

For sure, this emphasis is not meant to deny the responsibility and acts of faith that people should bear after they receive God’s grace. Some think salvation is ultimately settled the moment they first believe in Jesus, but this is not true. Salvation must be preserved until the end. A person who is saved from sin can fall back into it and lose faith. This is why we must fight until we attain final victory.

2. Grace Is Bestowed Compellingly

Salvation is not something we made. Even faith (a condition for salvation) was not acquired on our own. When a person who was drowning and breathless under water comes out and breathes, this is clearly the result of someone who helped him. Similarly, we had no ability to know God at all, and we had no idea about salvation. We were rushing to destruction without knowing the reason, but God compellingly bestowed His grace on us.

3. Grace Should Be Shown to the World

God did His utmost to give us the greatest love. He did this with the purpose of showing His exceedingly abundant grace to the generations to come. If we should boast, let’s boast of our weaknesses, and brag about the love of God who bestows His grace on us. People who understand God’s grace will not be ashamed of their weaknesses. On the contrary, they will be more grateful for God’s love, for He gave His grace to people like this. Let’s no longer yearn for our own merits, but submit to God’s grace. Let’s make sure that our lives are entirely for God’s glory.

Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim