WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE

We receive our salvation based on God's grace, not on our performance. The original Greek word used for salvation is “sṓzō” and means: save, heal, restore to health, preserve, rescue. The word comes from the root “sōs” which means "safe, rescued" – properly, deliver out of danger and into safety; used principally of God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin – and into His provisions (safety). (Strong's Concordance and NASB Translation)

• Acts 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.

 

• Romans 5:15-17 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
  

• Ephesians 2:7-8 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” Jesus paid the price in full for the sins of every person. His blood shed on the cross, not only covered our sins, as the blood of sacrificed animals did in the Old Covenant, but washed them away and canceled them forever. By faith in Jesus we receive His righteousness, too.
  

• Romans 6:14-16 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
  

 We will reign in life, if we understand the fullness of God's grace along with Jesus' righteousness  (Romans 5:17). We can reign only through Jesus, as we stay submitted to Him. In order for this to happen, we have to abide in Him, to live holy, sinless lives, so we will not “give any place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). What does this mean? When we sin, we give the devil the legal right to attack and hurt us. Paul says that we are the slaves of whoever we obey. While we are living right, Jesus rules over us and we reign through Him. However, when we choose sin, we put ourselves under Satan and we forfeit our rights.

Once we receive God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, sin no longer has authority over us (Romans 6:14). What the Bible says is very clear. God does not force us to accept or apply it. But if we want to understand His will and live in obedience to Him, the Holy Spirit has to open our spiritual eyes, so that we can understand God's Word and cause it to become “living and powerful” in our hearts and lives.


Carmen Pușcaș

You may read more in the article The Grace Of God- Unmerited Favor.