Is God’s grace a subject we pick up from our “spiritual tool box” in order to win people and get them saved, while we mainly should focus on other subjects for those who are already believers in order to make them mature in their faith?
The answer is no. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rm. 1:16) in every area of our lives. Grace is the core of the gospel, which is why Paul called it “the Gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).
Grace is essential for every aspect of the Christian life – not only the initial salvation. Everything is by grace. Did you know that the same grace that saves us also teaches us to say no to sin, live a holy lifestyle, and motivates us to passionately serve God?
Paul said in his letter to Titus:
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14)
We clearly see in this passage that the same grace that saves us also works sanctification in our lives. What does it mean that we are saved by grace? That salvation is a gift, not dependent of our performance, but simply dependent on what Jesus has done for us. That we are saved by grace means that we are saved in spite of not having deserved or earned it.
How then are we sanctified so that we live a godly life? The answer is the same: By letting God’s grace – His unmerited favor – work in our lives.
As little as the law could save us, does it have power to produce true sanctification in our lives. It is all about grace – from the beginning to the end.
How do we mature in our Christian lives? By focusing on God’s grace, feeding on teaching about God’s grace, and constantly living in the awareness of God’s unconditional love for us through Jesus Christ. God’s grace not only saves us – it teaches us to live a holy life and equips us with zeal to serve God with all of our hearts.
