We’ve been talking about redemption and forgiveness. Grace is the third component in Ephesians 1: 7. This daily devotional looks at how grace is needed for redemption and forgiveness.
Nuggets
- The Plan of Salvation was God’s plan all along.
- Grace is a free and unmerited gift from Heavenly Father given through His Son, Jesus Christ that enables salvation and spiritual healing to believers.
- Grace doesn’t give us a license to sin.
To read devotions in the Forgiveness of Sins through Grace by Redemption series, click the appropriate button below.
Devotions in the The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians series
Grace is the third concept listed in Ephesians 1: 7. We’ve previously said that grace is where God provided more than we deserved. Even though we don’t deserve good things, God gives them to us anyway.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
Grace
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace” (Eph. 1: 7 NIV).
The Plan of Salvation was God’s plan all along.
Jesus didn’t go up to God one day and say, “You know, it is really getting bad down there. We need to do something about it. How about I go down and be the sacrifice for them?”
No, God went to Jesus and said, “This is the plan.” And Jesus said, “Yes, Sir. That is a good plan.”
God designed the Plan of Salvation because of “… the riches of [His] grace” (Eph. 1: 7 NIV). Grace is a free and unmerited gift of love from the Heavenly Father, given through His Son, Jesus Christ, that enables salvation and spiritual healing to believers by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Glossary
God does this because of His mercy. God’s mercy is an act of sovereign will that produces an unexpected and undeserved response from God as He responds in love to our needs. Even though we deserve bad things as punishment, God doesn’t give them to us.
What that is saying is God’s love for us is based on the limitless supply of His grace. If it is limitless, then it is also limitless on which and to which the grace is given. God can forgive whatever — and whenever — we ask.
It also is not a temporary condition. God’s grace is constant. It was the same before the foundation of the world. It will be the same throughout eternity.
Let’s take that a step further. The whatever also means however much guilt we feel — even how much bitterness —God’s grace can heal all of our broken hearts.
What Grace Isn’t
Grace is not God’s band aid just so we can feel better. God’s grace is so our relationship with Him can be restored.
God’s grace isn’t a warm fuzzy. It isn’t a type of confirmation that we can keep doing what we are doing. We have to live within His Will.
On the other hand, grace doesn’t give us a license to sin. “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sinstill live in it?” (Rom. 6: 1-2 CSB).
Even though we will continue sinning, we shouldn’t want to continue to sin. We should make changes in our lives so that we are not tempted to sin.
But when we do sin — and ask God’s forgiveness, God has the grace to forgive us.
Making the Connections
“… the forgiveness of sin, in accordance with the riches of God's grace” (Eph. 1: 7 NIV).
You know me. I have to recap.
Redemption is where God bestows His gift of grace on us in order to deliver us from sin.
- Sin is not believing that Jesus is our Savior to save us from our actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
- Pure means not being sinful or having the stain of sin.
- Virtues are standards of moral excellence.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
Glossary
Redemption allows us to receive forgiveness for our sins. Forgiveness is, when we ask, the act of God pardoning us because we have shown repentance for breaking His laws and commandments, which allows us to become holy as He is.
- Repentance is acknowledging our separation from God and expressing sorrow for breaking God’s laws and commandments by making the commitment to changing ourselves through obedience so that we no longer do the wrong things.
Glossary
We accept the pardon by letting go of the guilt and remorse that we feel because we have done something wrong. It is a conscious decision to accept His forgiveness.
Because of God’s infinite grace, He devised the Plan of Salvation that made Jesus our Redeemer in order to forgive us of our sins.
Wow! Do you see all of the connections? If grace was lacking, the redemption and forgiveness wouldn’t happen. If redemption was lacking, forgiveness wouldn’t be enough. If the forgiveness was lacking, the rest would be meaningless.
And to think this is all freely given. We didn’t do anything to deserve this grace. We don’t deserve the forgiveness — we deserve the punishment.
But God said He wanted us redeemed. So, He devised a plan that all we have to do is say, I accept.”
How Do We Apply This?
We have to hear God’s Word, read it, study it, and meditate on it. This is how we seek God. Then we need to be in prayer, asking God to reveal Himself to us and provide the meaning.
searching for and seeking God
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
Then we have a decision to make. Are we going to take it on faith and believe it? No, we won’t understand everything. But we have to say to ourselves that it okay that we don’t understand — and mean it.
We then pray to ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior and God to be our Sovereign God.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
We may have prayed that prayer years ago but still struggle with some sin in our lives. God knows that we will continue to sin. But He will also know how we are attempting to live for Him.
So, we still have to access God’s grace by asking Him to forgive us. My Ladies and I were talking about needing to do that daily.
Loving Father. Your grace is sufficient to provide us redemption and forgiveness. You provide us salvation. This You do because of Your love for us. You expect us to change our lives to live he way You require. Help us to live for You. Amen.
What do you think?
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