Transformative Power of Grace in Salvation

Devotional

Day 1: Grace as the Foundation of Salvation

Our salvation is entirely by grace, not by works. This profound truth is rooted in the understanding that even our best efforts are imperfect and stained with sin, highlighting our need for Christ's perfect righteousness. This understanding humbles us and shifts our focus from self-reliance to reliance on God's grace. It is a reminder that we were once dead in our trespasses, following the ways of the world, but God, rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ. This transformation is entirely by grace, not by our works, so that no one can boast. Our good works, while important, do not contribute to our salvation. They are the fruit of our salvation, not the root. [03:50]

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you tempted to rely on your own efforts rather than God's grace? How can you shift your focus to trust more in His grace today?

Day 2: The Paradox of Reward and Grace

While our good works merit nothing, God graciously rewards them. This reward is not earned but is a gift of grace, encouraging us to live lives of gratitude and obedience. Our works are a response to grace, not a means to earn it. This paradox highlights the abundant grace of God, who, despite our unworthiness, chooses to reward our sincere efforts. It is a call to live in gratitude, recognizing that our good works are a manifestation of our love for God and a response to the grace we have received. [17:05]

2 Corinthians 9:8 (ESV): "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

Reflection: How can you express gratitude to God for His grace in your life today? What is one good work you can do this week as a response to His grace?

Day 3: Impossibility of Indifference

True faith in Christ results in a transformed life. Those grafted into Christ cannot remain indifferent; they will produce fruits of gratitude. This transformation is evidence of God's work in us, not our own doing. The impossibility of indifference in the life of a believer is highlighted, as those who are truly connected to Christ by faith will naturally bear fruit. Our lives, though imperfect, are a testament to the transformative power of God's grace, compelling us to live in a way that reflects His love and mercy. [20:58]

John 15:5 (ESV): "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."

Reflection: What evidence of transformation can you see in your life as a result of your faith in Christ? How can you cultivate more fruits of gratitude in your daily walk with Him?

Day 4: God's Workmanship and Our Purpose

We are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared for us. Our lives are a testament to His craftsmanship, and our good works are a reflection of His grace at work in us. This purpose gives meaning and direction to our lives, reminding us that we are not aimless but are called to walk in the good works God has set before us. As we embrace this purpose, we find fulfillment and joy in living out the calling God has placed on our lives. [26:00]

Philippians 2:13 (ESV): "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

Reflection: What specific good work do you feel God has prepared for you to walk in today? How can you align your actions with His purpose for your life?

Day 5: Living in the Victory of the Cross

Our journey of faith is one of continual learning and reliance on God's grace. We are reminded of our need for His mercy and love, and as we walk in obedience, we reflect the grace that has been lavished upon us. This grace is abundant and compels us to live lives that honor God. Living in the victory of Christ's cross means embracing the freedom and transformation that His sacrifice has secured for us, allowing us to walk confidently in His love and purpose. [32:26]

Colossians 2:13-14 (ESV): "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."

Reflection: How does the victory of the cross impact your daily life and decisions? What steps can you take to live more fully in the freedom and grace that Christ has provided?

Sermon Summary

In our exploration of Ephesians 2 and Lord's Day 24 of the Heidelberg Catechism, we delve into the profound truth of grace. We are reminded that we were once dead in our trespasses, following the ways of the world, but God, rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ. This transformation is entirely by grace, not by our works, so that no one can boast. Our good works, while important, do not contribute to our salvation. They are the fruit of our salvation, not the root. The righteousness that can stand before God must be perfect, and our best efforts fall short. Even our most sincere works are stained with sin and need forgiveness. This is why our salvation is solely through Christ's perfect fulfillment of the law and His sacrifice.

The paradox of grace is that while our works merit nothing, God graciously rewards them. This reward is not earned but given out of His abundant grace. Our good works are a response to the grace we have received, a manifestation of our gratitude and love for God. They are evidence of our new life in Christ, not a means to earn it. The impossibility of indifference in the life of a believer is highlighted. Those grafted into Christ by true faith cannot help but produce fruits of gratitude. Our lives, though imperfect, are a testament to the transformative power of God's grace.

We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He prepared beforehand for us to walk in. This journey of faith is one of continual learning and relearning, of falling and being lifted by grace. It is a life lived in the victory of Christ's cross, where we are constantly reminded of our need for His mercy and love. As we walk in obedience, we do so not to earn salvation but to reflect the grace that has been lavished upon us. This grace is not just sufficient; it is abundant, overflowing, and it compels us to live lives that honor God.

Key Takeaways

1. Grace as the Foundation of Salvation: Our salvation is entirely by grace, not by works. Even our best efforts are imperfect and stained with sin, highlighting our need for Christ's perfect righteousness. This understanding humbles us and shifts our focus from self-reliance to reliance on God's grace. [03:50]
2. The Paradox of Reward and Grace: While our good works merit nothing, God graciously rewards them. This reward is not earned but is a gift of grace, encouraging us to live lives of gratitude and obedience. Our works are a response to grace, not a means to earn it. [17:05]
3. Impossibility of Indifference: True faith in Christ results in a transformed life. Those grafted into Christ cannot remain indifferent; they will produce fruits of gratitude. This transformation is evidence of God's work in us, not our own doing. [20:58]
4. God's Workmanship and Our Purpose: We are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared for us. Our lives are a testament to His craftsmanship, and our good works are a reflection of His grace at work in us. This purpose gives meaning and direction to our lives. [26:00]
5. Living in the Victory of the Cross: Our journey of faith is one of continual learning and reliance on God's grace. We are reminded of our need for His mercy and love, and as we walk in obedience, we reflect the grace that has been lavished upon us. This grace is abundant and compels us to live lives that honor God. [32:26]
** [32:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:50] - Grace and Salvation
[07:15] - The Nature of Good Works
[10:45] - The Paradox of Reward
[14:30] - The Impossibility of Indifference
[17:05] - God's Workmanship
[20:58] - Living in Victory
[23:40] - The Role of Faith
[26:00] - The Purpose of Good Works
[29:22] - The Rich Young Ruler
[32:26] - Grace and Transformation
[35:10] - Walking in Obedience
[38:59] - The Abundance of Grace
[41:10] - Conclusion and Prayer

Sermon Clips

By grace, you have been saved, and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. [00:01:38] (53 seconds) Edit Clip

It's by grace, out of great love, mercy, that we're loved, a great love with which we're loved, and being dead in sins and trespasses were made alive. We didn't do something first. We didn't repent first. We didn't get sanctified first. We didn't get fixed up a little bit first, and now that we're a little bit lovable, a little bit less evil, a little bit less despicable, now we qualify for mercy. None of that starts with grace, ends with grace. This grace finds us by grace. We were made alive together with Christ. We were dead, made alive, all at God's initiative. [00:04:17] (50 seconds) Edit Clip

So that the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness toward you in Christ Jesus may be manifest more and more. By grace you've been saved through faith. Now, it takes something of a lifetime for us to learn the three parts of the Catechism, how great my sin and misery are, how I'm delivered from my sin and misery, and then that deliverance is altogether solely, totally divine grace, divine initiative, divine love, God doing it, God providing, God coming through, God, glory to God. It takes a lot, and then living in reply, living in love and gratitude and celebration. [00:05:34] (45 seconds) Edit Clip

Indeed, it's one of the saddest stories in the Bible because he's given the way, the truth, the life, the answer. Come follow me. There's different kinds of wealth and riches. Jesus didn't tell everyone who's wealthy to come follow him, to sell everything they have, but he saw the idol that was in his heart and called him to break with it, and he would not. And so it's a challenge for all of us. Do I love anything more than God? I wish to do good works, but what's going to motivate me to do that? [00:26:00] (42 seconds) Edit Clip

Very interesting what can motivate people. Well, rewards can motivate us, but even the reward of living for Jesus, walking in his ways, is that what really motivates us? What am I going to get out of it? Now, I really don't want to do this. I really don't love Jesus. I'm really not praying for his kingdom come. I really don't want his will to be done, but I know how God thinks. So I'll walk into a kind of conformity with his will because he's going to reward conformity to his will, and so it's really still just about me and my kingdom come and my will being done, and I'm just motivated by my own simple habits of heart. God sees through that. [00:26:23] (55 seconds) Edit Clip

You can dupe a preacher. You can dupe some elders. You can dupe your wife or your husband. You can dupe your parents. You can't dupe God. He knows better. He sees what motivates you. And there is no good works what isn't. done in faith and in love and devotion and for God's glory. Some of the medieval scholastics were willing to say, look, if I have to be damned for God's glory, then let God be glorified. I don't think the Bible calls us to that, but at least there's a disposition of heart that isn't saying, well, what's in it for me? Because it's about me. Those aren't good works. [00:27:37] (47 seconds) Edit Clip

We have the famous workers in the vineyard, that parable. Guy goes out to hire workers in the vineyard, six in the morning, finds people, come work for me, give you a wage, comes back around at nine o 'clock, three hours later, more people, come, work in my field, got work for you. Noon, same thing, three o 'clock in the afternoon, finds more people. Hey, day's short, come work, five o 'clock, more, hires them on. There's only an hour of work left, quitting time, six o 'clock. They work for an hour, time to get your wage. [00:28:30] (48 seconds) Edit Clip

Guy's hired at six, get a denarius. Nine, get a denarius. Noon, get a denarius. Three, get a denarius. Five o 'clock, one hour, they work, get a denarius. That's not fair. Well, maybe for modern business practices, but for getting your wage for service in God's kingdom, oh boy, is that fair. Because, you see, it's all, the reward isn't an earned wage, it's all a reward of grace. I've known Jesus since I was a little taught. I've been praying. I've served the church. I've been part of this church. I help build buildings. I help keep the church on the straight and narrow. We sacrifice. We save. I've served in all kinds of capacities. [00:29:20] (53 seconds) Edit Clip

I've been doing it 80 -something years. Praise God. And for all your works of service and love and devotion, genuine as it is, it's a reward of grace. When someone walks through this door and gets saved and makes profession of faith some months later, they get the same reward. Glory. Glory, Jesus. It's not an earned wage. It's not merited then in that way. It's a gift of God, truly a gift. You don't give gifts as reward or as things merited. You know, the classic Christmas theology, naughty, nice, and, you know, good boy gets the good gifts and all that, and naughty boy, no gift. That's not the Christian faith. We're all naughty children. We've earned nothing, but we're given everything. So the paradox there is it's not merited, but it is rewarded. [00:30:06] (83 seconds) Edit Clip

Calvin's also very big on this. He wants us to understand that, hey, even your good works need forgiveness, so of course you're not meriting anything. If your best foot forward needs forgiveness and mercy and is only accepted through the blood of Jesus, what is there to merit? Nothing. But we do confess Him. Moved by His Spirit, we do love Him. We do seek His will. We do seek forgiveness. These are good things, not perfect things, but good things. And God is pleased working that grace in us to reward the grace He's worked in us. So what do you get? You get some more grace, but you've merited nothing. [00:31:11] (58 seconds) Edit Clip

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