Romans 5:5 (NKJV) 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Though our hope of glory is still in the future, we should not be ashamed to talk about it or put total confidence in it, […]
Romans 5:2 (ESV) 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Without hope life is hardly worth living. Human beings long for hope. We are sustained by it, and without it, we struggle to survive the […]
Romans 5:2 (ESV) 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. This week we are contemplating the blessings involved in our state of justification. In the book of Romans, Paul does a wonderful job emphasizing how […]
Romans 5:1 (ESV) 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The word justification means, “to render just or innocent” (Strong). It is to be declared not guilty in heaven’s court. Since we are not really innocent, to be declared such is a matter […]
Man has many ideas about what it takes to be a true disciple of Christ. In Matthew 16:24 we have the opportunity to allow Jesus, Himself, to tell us. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” The word “if” in the […]
This week we have been probing the great words of Paul in Ephesians 2:8. We have seen that we are saved by grace rather than by meritorious works. Our salvation is a gift from God and something that we should be thankful for every day. As a result of how our salvation came to be, […]
Salvation is a gift given by God. Paul teaches this clearly in Ephesians 2:8. A gift is, “something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation” (Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary). That is what God did for us. He gave us the gift of salvation. He did not do it for compensation, but out of […]
After pointing out that we are saved by grace through faith, Paul emphasizes that salvation is not of our own doing (Ephesians 2:8). It is very important that we understand this. What does Paul mean by this? Well, first we need to understand what Paul is not teaching. He is not teaching that there is […]
Paul teaches us that we have been saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8). However, we have a part in our own salvation, not because God needed our help, but because He desired effort on our part. Sure, God could save us without any action taken on our part at all, but that was not God’s will. […]
Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved…” (Ephesians 2:8). Thank God for His grace. Grace refers to God’s unmerited favor and emphasizes the unearned and undeserved nature of our salvation. God saves man out of the goodness of His heart. The Psalmist once said, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for His is […]