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specialTopic: Ephesians 2:4 - 10
Many people believe that piling up good works makes them right with the Lord. Yet death is the only payment for sin that can satisfy divine justice. (Romans 6:23) Since we all transgress, this leaves us in a desperate situation facing an eternity apart from God.
Grace, the expression of divine love and kindness to the utterly undeserving, prompted the solution. God sent His Son Jesus to die in our place. According to Romans 10:9, all we need to do is believe and accept Jesus into our hearts. Jesus' death satisfied God's justice and brought us:
New Life. Our spirit is made alive in Christ the moment we acknowledge that we are sinners, turn from our rebelliousness, and believe that His death paid for our sin - debt in full.
Freedom. At salvation, sin's power over us is broken, and we are set free from slavery to its hold. Jesus raised us up out of the quagmire of disobedience and gave us the faith to believe. Now we can exercise our newfound freedom and follow Him.
Security. When we accept God's judgment that we are sinners by nature and acknowledge our Savior's sacrifice as payment for our sins, we are permanently adopted into the heavenly Father's family. Our status changes instantly: once objects of wrath, we are now children of God. Someday we will be seated in the heavenly realms with Christ to enjoy life everlasting with Him.
God, the very one against whom we rebelled, substituted His Son Jesus in our place to receive the punishment that was rightfully ours. How will you show your gratitude to God for His saving grace?
