It’s Important to Know You Can’t Work For or Earn Healing Grace
The truth is . . .
There is no such thing as do it yourself salvation!
And it’s also true . . . that is a hard truth for us to accept.
Pride is our #1 weakness. Whether it is manifested as arrogance or insecurity . . . we all, like two year olds, have a prideful desire to “do it myself.”
Based on the American Worldview Inventory 2020 – Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University:
New research shows that unlike past generations, who readily recognized the reality of sin and the need for salvation through Jesus Christ, American adults today increasingly adopt a “salvation-can-be earned” perspective, with a plurality of adults (48%) believing that if a person is generally good, or does enough good things during their life, they will “earn” a place in Heaven.
The majority of people who describe themselves as Christian (52%) accept a “works-oriented” means to God’s
acceptance.
Yet, Paul clearly wrote to the believers in Rome:
It is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.
Romans 8:16
And…
The Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path.
Romans 9:30–32
The message that people must do their part to earn salvation is a message directly from the enemy. If he can tempt us to believe we have to be good enough, then he can make us doubt our salvation, doubt God’s mercy, healing grace, and love.
It’s just another version of the same original lie – “Did God really say?”
Yes, God did really say!
Paul wrote:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8–9
And Jesus said:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.
John 11:25
Martin Luther asked the question…
“Is it not wonderful news to believe that salvation lies outside ourselves?”
Are you tired of striving to earn approval . . . weary of trying to push through to feel good enough and accepted. Do you need God’s healing grace?
Read Jesus words to you…
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation].
Matthew 11:28 (AMP)
A Prayer Thanking God for His Healing Grace
Heavenly Father, I love you! I thank and praise you! What a blessing to know that I am saved by Your grace and mercy through Jesus. And I need it . . . because I am unable to earn the “good” goals I set for myself let alone the “perfect” will You have for me. Please forgive me, Lord. I am guilty of letting my pride get in the way. I am guilty of trying to do it myself. I am guilty of comparing myself to others instead of keeping my heart and mind focused on Jesus, the One who makes my faith possible and who works in me to help me grow. (Hebrews 12:2)
By Your grace, please fill me with Your love. I want to rest in Your grace and mercy. I want to completely surrender to You and trust Your perfect will for me. I want to obey Your commands . . . not to earn Your favor but to show You my love and appreciation for all You have done for me. I give myself to You. Please guide me, strengthen me, and use me in ways that will bring You glory. I pray in the name of Jesus, who has made Your healing grace possible in my life. Amen.
Pause and breathe! You and I have been given a life-changing awesome wonderful gift. And like all gifts, it can’t be earned . . . it can only be celebrated, enjoyed, and used as the gracious blessing it is.
On today’s note write:
God’s gift of healing grace through faith in Jesus gives me LIFE!
May God bless you and overwhelm you with His healing grace as you live this day for His glory.
We certainly can’t earn God’s grace and favor, Deb, and I, for one, am so grateful for that! Who could ever be good enough?
Blessings!
Me too, Martha! Me too!!
It is a truth the Bible is plain about from the accounts of Creation of this Earth through the Creation of the New Earth, it is All God’s Work. It is God’s choice of who his children are, and the saving faith like that of Abraham’s we exercise because God gives us a measure of faith as God deems needful.
Thanks for the great article. There have always been tares amongst the wheat. If God had not kept a remnant unto himself, we would have been ashes and smoke like Sodom and Gomorrah.
It is too easy to slip into a works mentality even for those of us who are being conformed into the image of God the Son. It is quite popular to believe, just like Adam and Eve, that we attain godliness by not believing what God has already told us.
Thank you again for your posts. It encourages me in the face of much disappointment with my relatives who have mainly adopted the view that they belong to God because of their own attributes of being good, measuring up to standards of Western Civilization Culture and subculture groups.
Thanks for visiting, Gregory! I appreciate your comment and your encouragement. God bless you!
Hello Deb, thank you again for such a wonderful article, and thanks again for the Prayer.
Thank you . . . I really appreciate your encouragement!
GREAT Inspiration Deb ???????? ❤️Thank You And COURSE something We Should Realize ITS JESUS ♥️DEATH on the CROSS ✝️♥️????????♥️♥️❗️LOVE Your Printables ????????❗️HAVE you EVER thought of Doing WHAT ETSY does? with The Prints And Verses? FOR Instant Downloads? They WOULD make COOL PICTURES ❗️Just A Thought… G-d♥️Bless
Thank you, Cheri! I am so blessed by your encouragement. I’ll have to think about that. Blessings!
Thank you Deb for reminding us all, that we don’t have to earn God’s grace – we can “come as we are”. I for one am so grateful for that! We are shown God’s mercy through His beloved son Jesus.
Angela – Ireland