"Grace"

Times when I felt all alone,

An isolated danger zone,

The devil called in every loan,

But Jesus with me stayed.

The price for me was paid.

I came back from that darker side,

Can’t tell you now the tears I cried,

But finally no place to hide,

I heard Him say to me,

You cannot earn what’s free.

So many times since then I tried,

To make sure God was satisfied,

With what I did and then let slide,

A heavy weight to bear,

Found out that’s not God’s care.

To make up for a thousand sins,

Wondered how He’d let me in,

Misunderstood again, and then,

I heard Him say to me,

Son, you need to let it be.

Grace is often misconstrued,

With those who lived both wild and rude,

Using grace as license crude,

To run and disobey,

But that is not God’s way.

But another way, like me, some fall,

Doubt grace covers all and all,

Somehow must earn and then forestall,

What they know they deserve,

So with all their might they serve.

Here’s the truth for you and me,

Jesus died, the grace is free,

And we by faith are saved you see,

He seals us with His love,

Assures our home above.

But those who do receive this grace,

God gives strength to run their race,

Produces works He puts in place,

It shows in what we do,

Because His love flows through.

“Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” (Eph. 2:9-10, NLT).

It’s an old question: what place do good works play in our personal salvation? It’s a great relief when we realize we don’t have to earn God’s favor or forgiveness. Salvation is a free gift that can only be received by faith and then assured by the Spirit. We could never do enough good things to earn or deserve it. On the other hand, faith without works is dead. This means that if we have truly received the grace of God we are empowered to do good works. These flow from our faith and manifest to the world that we have a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Grace liberates us to do God’s will, not find an excuse for disobedience. We are justified in God’s eyes by grace. We are justified in the eyes of the world by the good works grace produces. God works it in while we work it out for the world to see.

Lord, help us to receive and live out Your grace, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bruce Greene, brucegreeneart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bruce, and God bless you.