Ephesians 2:8-9. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Nothing from ourselves could give us life. No good works could set us free from the law of sin and death. No amount of human wisdom could prevent the disasters and curses that have plagued us and our family lines. No one is able to escape the judgment that all people rightfully deserve. The only hope for mankind is God’s saving grace.
When we believed, God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions. By dying on the cross, Jesus completed the work of the True Priest—He gave us life when we had none. Therefore, we who believe in Jesus as our True Priest have been given eternal life. We will not come under condemnation. We have already crossed over from death to life.
It takes the power of God to break us free from the grip of Satan. None of us have the strength to escape from the lies of the father of lies. None of us are immune to the deception of the angel of light. None of us are capable of crushing the head of the ancient serpent or destroying the works of the devil.
But God raised Christ from the dead. Through His resurrection, Jesus completed the work of the True King and shattered the power of the devil, who holds the power of death. And to those who believe in Jesus as their True King, God has given spiritual authority to overcome all the power of the enemy.
Only God’s great love could reach into the depths of hell to bring us back to Himself. We were all like sheep who went astray. Each of us turned to our own way, and none of us knew how to return to God. We followed the ways of this world, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. But God did not abandon us as orphans. He sought us out. He came searching for us like a shepherd looking for his one lost sheep.
Because of His great love for us, God brought us home through Christ. He raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms. Jesus finished the work of the True Prophet. He opened a new and living way for us to come to God. Through Christ, God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. For those who believe in Jesus as the True Prophet, God has restored their true identity and authority as His children.
Everything is by grace. As Paul confessed, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” Even the faith you have in Christ is a gift from God. Because you are in Christ, God takes delight in you. You are precious and honored in His sight.
God has completely forgiven you, so there is no need to live in guilt or fear. He wants you to enjoy everything He has freely given you through the Holy Spirit. You are now living under the covering of God’s grace.
So do not be deceived by your weaknesses, the temptations of the world, or the lies of the devil. Instead, live every day with full assurance and boldness in Christ. Know His grace. Enjoy His grace. And boldly proclaim His grace.
Through your life, God will reveal the incomparable riches of His grace for generations to come. He will empower you to carry out the good works He prepared in advance for you—works that save lives, works that glorify Christ.
Prayer. Father, I thank You for Your amazing grace that rescued me from the power of Satan, from the curse of sin, and from the reality of hell. Help me to understand Your grace more deeply, to experience it in every area of my life, and to proclaim it faithfully in the coming ages. In Jesus’ name, Amen.