While we were dead in our sins and unable to save ourselves, God’s grace provided a way for us to live, through Christ. “…. that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7
The amazing reality that He has taken us from being dead in sin to being alive in Christ, seated us with Him, and given us a place of honor even though we were undeserving, displays the richness of God’s grace, and the depth of His kindness and mercy through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-6
“For by grace ye have been saved through faith”. Ephesians 2:8
Sin breaks our connection with God and, if unchecked, leads to eternal separation from Him. “The payment for sin is death….” (Romans 6:23) However, God desire is reconciliation. Out of love, He made a way for redemption—not because we earned it or because He had to, but because He chose to. By sacrificing His Son, who took the penalty of death on our behalf, God offers man reconciliation. This merciful act driven by love to an undeserving people defines GOD’S grace.
The Ephesians benefited from this merciful, love driven act through their faith. “By grace you have been saved, through faith not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 Without faith, GOD’S grace does not benefit us. While the payment for sin is death, the gift of GOD is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This incredible gift of eternal life is GOD’S grace given gift.
Man had no role in the gift being given. No good deed or series of deeds warranted this gift. “not of works, lest anyone boast.” (Ephesians 2:9)No one can boast that their works have in any way obligated God to offer redemption to humanity. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
There is no room for boasting, as no amount of works can make us righteous. Paul explains in Romans 3 that boasting is excluded by the law of faith. Jesus the Christ was sacrificed to satisfy God’s wrath against sin through His shed blood. Boasting about personal merits is pointless when receiving a gift, as gifts cannot be earned. Justification through faith in Christ Jesus is a gift available to everyone, freely given, beyond any payment or claim through human actions. While we had no control over the gift being offered, we do have the choice to accept it. Through faith, we can make a saving choice and be redeemed by the blood of Christ. When we respond to the Gospel call, we affirm our faith in His sacrifice on the cross and His triumph over sin and death. We choose to freely confess our faith in this truth, and die with Christ, resulting in being made alive with Him.
“In Him (Christ) you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Colossians 2:11-12
Prospering Pathway 
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