For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (NKJV)
Through Jesus’ finished work of the cross, a brand new deal was struck with God. Everything before that point was under the old covenant. But a new agreement stood in its place afterward.
The problem is that many people mix together the old and the new.
When Paul wrote letters to the early churches, he continually corrected this issue. The early Christians seemed to have understood that they came into relationship with God through Christ without having to earn it. However, they kept thinking that
they needed to earn the blessings of God through their behaviour.
In other words, they knew they were saved through grace, but thought they were blessed through works.
Many still make this mistake today, but the truth is that we are both saved and blessed by grace. God’s healing power, the ability He gives us to prosper, and every other blessing He provides is His gift to us.
You will still need to take action to receive
these blessings, and sometimes this can
feel like work, but there’s a big difference. For example, the work you need to do to get healthy (exercise, eat well, etc.) isn’t done to earn the right to be healthy. Health is yours in Jesus’ name. The work you do to be healthy is just a part of acting on your faith and walking out your right to health.
Never forget that, because of the finished work of Jesus, you as a believer are under a new agreement—one that’s all about grace, not works. Every blessing and promise in the Bible is a gift to you from your loving Father God.