A More Specific Grace

"...by grace you have been saved..." Ephesians 2:5, 8

Yesterday, I shared a few thoughts on God's general grace, a grace which He shows to the whole world, providing the things needed to support this body and life, and giving to everyone, regardless of their beliefs, thoughts, lifestyles, etc.  But this also isn't the only kind of grace spoken of in the Bible.  Today, we're going to look at one that gets quite a bit more specific: saving grace.

The above phrase, from Paul's letter to the Christians in Ephesus, appears to be relatively easy to understand.  God's grace is what saves us.  Not some decision on our part, not a number of good actions, not having the good in our life outweigh the bad.  It's completely up to God to give it to us as a gift.  This forms the basis for what I am calling 'saving grace.'

Saving grace is much more specific than God's general grace.  Saving grace is what assures a person of God's favor.  Saving grace grants a person a place with God, both while living in this world, and then, in the life to come when that person leaves this world through the doorway of death.  Saving grace is shown by Jesus' perfect life, sacrificial death on the cross, and victorious resurrection from the dead.

In other words, saving grace is what assures us of life with God when we depart from this world.  And since it is grace, that means that we cannot earn it, achieve it, or do anything in God's eyes that would make Him have to give it to us, as though it were our wages for doing what He wants.  It comes as a gift, and is the kind of gift that God wants to give to every single person in this world.

Tomorrow I'll talk a little bit about what God says in the Bible about how we have access to this saving grace.  But the good news is that this saving grace is not overly difficult to receive, nor does God make it hard to find.  But more on that over the rest of the week!  God's grace be with you today!