Faith plus Nothing (September 27, 2021)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In our selfish human pride, we try to take control of life’s circumstances, trusting in our own strength and understanding to address the issues that confront us. When a serious problem raises its ugly head, I confess that I have a tendency to panic, fearfully and frantically striving for my own solution without seeking the divine guidance of a sovereign God Who knows and cares about even the smallest detail of my life. Professing faith in an all-knowing, all-powerful God who has promised never to leave nor forsake us, Christians should fully rely on His wisdom and trust that His will be done in every trial or episode of life that we face. In our frailty and weakness, we must yield in faithful dependence and allow God’s awesome power to be made manifest in our lives.

Self-reliance is part of the sinful nature that is our earthly inheritance, a form of rebellion that obstructs an intimate personal relationship with God and hinders His mighty works in and through our lives. We must learn to trustingly depend upon God’s sufficiency, not our own feeble efforts, to govern every aspect of our lives. This biblical truth is especially applicable to our salvation. Salvation cannot be earned; it is a gift of God! There is nothing that we can add to what Jesus Christ did on the cross to redeem us of our sins, reconcile us to a righteous God, and reward us with everlasting life. Our good works are not the reason for our salvation; they are the result of it! To think that we could contribute anything to our salvation is a form of blasphemy. We must simply accept God’s offer of grace through faith in Christ, faith plus nothing! 

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7)