Amazing Grace!

Right now I'm taking an apologetics class, and we are studying other religions. One common denominator with other religions or cults is the fact that they have to earn their salvation. In order to please their god, they have to do something. It could be dressing a certain way, eating a particular diet, saying a certain number of prayers, visiting a specific city... the list is endless! But, they all have to work to gain their god's favor.

What I love about the true and living God is that He realized that there was nothing that man could do to earn His favor... and He chose to create a way for man to be close to Him anyway. God knew no matter how hard we tried to be free from sin on our own, we would always fail. God knew that only a pure sacrifice would cleanse us, and He knew the only One who would be worthy to take on the task.

God sent His Son Jesus to die in our place. He sent His Son to bear our sins on the cross. His Son received our punishment of death and separation from God. All so that we could have the chance to be with Him for all eternity.

Jesus' atoning sacrifice gave us grace. We have God's grace! We don't have to work, we don't have to earn it, we don't have to try to prove our worthiness. All we have to do is accept Jesus as Lord. All we have to do is receive His gift of eternal life. Simple acceptance of Jesus' precious gift grants us the grace to be in right relationship with the true and living God.

That's it.

That's amazing grace!

Verse of the Day: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God... Ephesians 2:8