| For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. |
| Ephesians 2:8 |
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No ‘Buts’ In The Good News | |
Imagine having a rich uncle who comes up to you one day and says, “I
have really good news for you. I know you need a family car badly, so I
bought you a really nice one!” Your jaw drops at the good news. But
before you can thank him, he says, “It’s all yours…BUT you have to pay
me monthly installments of $1,000 for it.”
Suddenly, what started out as “good news” doesn’t turn out to be good news after all. Why? Because it contains a big “BUT!” The “gift” isn’t genuine because it has a condition attached to it.
Suddenly, what started out as “good news” doesn’t turn out to be good news after all. Why? Because it contains a big “BUT!” The “gift” isn’t genuine because it has a condition attached to it.
Sadly, this is how some
people understand the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They’ve
been told, “Yes, you are saved by God’s grace, BUT from now on, you have
to make sure that you come to church, read your Bible, pray, serve,
dress holy…to keep your salvation.” Like the car, salvation is not
really a free gift—you have to merit it with “installments” of good
works.
Beloved, good works are
important, but they can’t save you. The only thing that can save you is
the blood of Jesus. And when you put your faith in Jesus and His
finished work, you were saved for all eternity, with no
strings attached because grace is not grace if your works have any part
to play in it (Romans 11:6)! That’s why the gospel of God’s grace is
truly GOOD NEWS! And it is knowing and believing this that produces
godly fruits of faith and righteousness in your life!
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