Hope Brighter Than The Sun: Day 3
Day 3: Grace, Not Works
Devotional
The most liberating truth in the universe is this: you don't have to work for God's acceptance. Paul learned that the hope he had been desperately trying to earn through religious performance was actually a free gift. This changes everything about how we approach our relationship with God. You don't work for this hope. You don't clean yourself up for this hope. You don't prove yourself worthy for this hope. You can only receive it by grace, through faith. This is radically different from every other religion or philosophy in the world. While others say "do this and live," Christianity says "it is finished." Christ lived the perfect life that you couldn't live. He died the death that your sin earned you. He rose again in victory so that you could be forgiven and brought into light. When we truly grasp this truth, it transforms our entire perspective on the Christian life. We stop seeing it as a burden to bear and start experiencing it as a gift to enjoy. The pressure is off because Christ has already done everything necessary for our salvation. This doesn't make us lazy; it makes us grateful. And gratitude is the most powerful motivator for a changed life.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
not a result of works, so that no one may boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9
Reflection Question
How does knowing that salvation is completely by grace change your motivation for living a godly life?
“You don't work for this hope. You don't clean yourself up for this hope.
You don't prove yourself worthy for this hope. You can only receive it by grace, through faith.”
— Pastor Mike Mura
Prayer
Father, thank You that I don't have to earn Your love or work for my salvation. Help me live from gratitude rather than guilt.