Honey&Salt.online

Unearned Grace

Hello, friends! I am so happy to be back in a routine writing for Honey&Salt! The past few weeks have been a time of revision from the Lord and where He is directing this ministry.

I want to write this post on something that has really been a recurring theme in my life for the past few weeks now. The young adult services at my church have been highlighting a crucial topic for anyone walking with the Lord, and I want to share some notes with you!

I want to start with the most common verse, John 3:16-17. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”

When I first started attending church, this verse was spoken so often, even appearing on social media. Its familiarity to us can sometimes cause us to overlook its truth: Jesus is the One who came to save us – it is not our own efforts that save us from our sin. It’s Jesus.

Romans 6:23 emphasizes this further, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The term “free gift” expresses that salvation is provided without payment, revealing the unconditional nature of the gift, implying that it is entirely free of charge and involves no reciprocal obligation or payment. In the context of Romans 6:23, the free gift of eternal life through Jesus underscores that salvation is not earned through human efforts or accomplishments but it is solely provided by God’s grace.

In high school, I believed that if I prayed more, read my Bible more, fasted more, and lived a life closer to perfection, I could become “good enough” for God to love. Although scripture teaches us the importance of a life committed to prayer, reading the Bible, and emulating the love and humility of Jesus, it it so crucial to remember that these acts are not the currency we use to purchase God’s grace or provoke His movements.

Our salvation was already bought on a cross, and nothing we can do on earth can match that payment. Practicing prayer, fasting, and studying scripture are all great ways to grow relationally with the Lord and align our hearts with His will, but He was and still is at work in our lives before we ever called out to Him.

One of my favorite verses is Romans 5:8, “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I love this verse so much because it highlights that God’s grace and actions are not contingent on our righteousness but is a manifestation of His unchanging character. Even before we knew Him, before we said our first word, before we were in the depths of sin, God was moving.

I once lived my life striving to earn God’s favor, and when I’d fall into sin, the cycle of discouragement and disappointment led me to reject the free gift God was offering. Even in my most sinful state, He was reaching out His hand to me. What I tried to achieve through striving for perfection, He freely offered even when I was at my lowest.

I encourage you, no matter where you are, or where you’ve been, that God does not expect us to come to Him perfect. He invites us to come to Him as we are – broken, messy, imperfect, sinful, confused, lost, anxious, stressed, doubtful, fearful, depressed, hurt. Because when we surrender to Him, He offers us many more free gifts, such as completeness, cleanliness, joyfulness, peace, hope, clarity, contentment, and so much more.

I also want to highlight Luke 6:6-10. I won’t quote the entire passage, but I encourage you to read it yourself. In this passage, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue and notices a man with a withered hand. Jesus simply asks the man to stand up and stretch out his hand. The man did exactly what Jesus said, no hesitation, despite the presence of skeptics around him. Verse 10 tells us the man’s hand was restored.

Jesus did not inquire about the man’s prayer habits or knowledge of scripture. Instead, He simply asked the man to stand up. The miracle that followed was a testament to the power of faith, not the perfection of man’s lifestyle. Jesus’ miracles are never based on personal achievements but only by faith and our willingness to trust and follow His instructions.

Assuming Jesus wants more praying and more fasting as a clause and condition for a miracle is a misconception that our actions alone can earn His favor. God’s nature is to love and act mercifully. He is not the one who rejects us from receiving free gifts; we are the ones who reject them when we refuse to receive them.

When I first read Luke 23:42-43, I finally grasped the idea that God is not focused on religious prerequisites for His grace. The man crucified beside Jesus had only moments left in his life, which he spent as a criminal. Yet, when He reached out to Jesus, expressing his desire to be remembered once Jesus came into His Kingdom, Jesus assured him, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

The criminal didn’t have a lifetime of righteousness. He had minutes left to his life, yet in those final moments, he makes a profound declaration of faith that transforms his eternal destiny. He simply accepted the free gift God was offering to him. The grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ is the only prerequisite for salvation (John 14:6). God’s grace is not bound by time or the amount of good works one has accumulated in a lifetime. God’s salvation and grace are only dependent on our faith and acceptance of Jesus at any moment.

I want to remind you that achievements and attempts at “perfection” are not what secure our place in heaven. Our willingness to accept Jesus and His sacrifice alone, acknowledging that He is Lord of our life, grants us access to God’s grace, irrespective to our past. He loves you despite anything you have ever done, friend! It is never too late, you are never too far gone, and He is never too tired of extending His offer of the free gift of eternal life to you. Accept it, and claim the most gracious and beautiful gift you could ever receive!

Thank you for reading!