Daily Archive

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Jesus has made us righteous (Rom. 3:22), Jesus has made us holy (1 Cor. 1:30), God has forgiven all our (past, present, and future) sins through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 3:18), and all of God’s promises have been approved through Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 1:20). We don’t have to earn or work for any of these things. All we have to do is receive them by faith.

These free gifts are clear in scripture, but some believers can’t grasp receiving something for free. They think they have to work for (and some would rather earn) what Jesus died for. There are two primary reasons why people can’t simply receive everything Jesus sacrificed His life for.

1. Pride
   They don’t want to accept anything for free. When someone can say they prayed 5 hours a day, fasted 40 days, and read 4 chapters a day, they’ll feel worthy to receive forgiveness or favor. They’re proud of their accomplishments and feel like they should be rewarded for their efforts.
2. Pedestals
   While they’re feeling proud of their efforts, they’ve also built a pedestal to stand on to look down on others. They can say they’re better than someone else because of what they’ve done. This makes them feel good about themselves.

Neither pride nor pedestals honor the sacrifice of Jesus.

Stop rejecting something God wants you to freely receive. Rejecting God’s gift is disrespectful. We’re letting Him know we don’t appreciate the full sacrifice of Jesus. Let’s get our minds off ourselves and place them on what Jesus has already done for us. It’s Jesus’ efforts and not our own.