God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)
All too often, we as believers struggle to comprehend that we can’t earn our salvation through works.
Legalistic, rule-fixated people often teach that we need to earn salvation and God’s blessings by trying to be good enough, but the trouble is, this makes us self-focused. When all we think about is what we do or how good we are, we’re focused on us, not God, and we’re stuck in works. We think, “Better behaviour equals more blessing,” but this isn’t a biblical truth. Today’s verse points out clearly that no level of goodness warrants salvation—only acceptance and faith in Jesus.
In Romans chapter 7, Paul talks about struggling with doing what he shouldn’t do and not doing what he should. Any believer who falls back into trying to earn salvation or favour will become just as frustrated as Paul was in that chapter!
You see, salvation was already earned by Jesus Christ—the one who paid the price once and for all. That’s what makes it the most incredible gift! We don’t need to fix ourselves up, work for it or get our lives in order before coming to God for salvation. He accepts us exactly as we are and where we are in life with no exceptions.
Jesus levelled the playing field when He died and rose again. He paid the penalty required, making salvation available to every living soul on the planet, regardless of stature or past. Believing in your heart is the only requirement to receive salvation and God’s full blessing with it. Jesus paid it all!