A gift is something given to someone without demanding payment for it.  If we buy a gift for someone and when we give it to them we asked them to reimburse us for it (money, time, effort, etc.), the gift would no longer be a gift, it would be a purchase.  It’s the same way with our salvation.  God’s salvation is a gift from Him to us, and there’s nothing we can do to earn it, buy it, our pay it back.  God, through the Apostle Paul, says,

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—  not from works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9. HCSB).”

In this passage of Scripture, God answers and clarifies many questions about salvation.  Let’s break it down and take a look at what God is teaching us.

1. “For you are saved by grace…” – God says that, in the context of salvation, the word, “grace”, means, and unmerited favor from God to us.  It is unmerited favor because there is nothing about us that makes us worthy of being saved from God’s wrath because of our sin nature.  Grace, however, is not at mere word.  In this context, grace is a Person, God’s One and Only Son, Jesus.  God demonstrated His unmerited favor towards us by sending Jesus to suffer and die as full payment for our sins, for the forgiveness of our sin-debt (Romans 5:8).  Jesus is God’s unmerited love and favor towards us – He is grace incarnate (John 3:16-18).
2. “through faith,” – God says that faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross is how He saves us.  But, this is not just a mere certainty of the existence of something, but a faith that, by our love for Him, we are compelled to put our lives in Jesus’ hands, a faith that compels us to turn away from sin and rebellion against God and strive to live every day in immediate, radical, costly obedience to His commands (2 Corinthians 5:15, 17). 
3. “and this is not from yourselves;” – God says that there is nothing that we can do to salve ourselves.  In fact, God says that everything we do to merit our salvation, He considers as “filthy rags”, it is something that He will not accept because everything that needed to be done for the purpose of our salvation, has already been done by Jesus, on the cross. This is what God says about our efforts: “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; (Isaiah 64:6 NKJV).” God does not accept anything unclean.
4. “it is God’s gift” – God says that our salvation is free for us because Jesus has already paid for it on the cross.  God paid for our salvation through Jesus’ death on the cross.  
5. “not from works,” – God says that there is nothing else that can be done for our salvation.  Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient for God and He proved that by raising Him from the dead on the third day after His death and burial.  God, through Titus said: “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love
   for mankind appeared, He saved us — not by works of righteousness that we had done… (Titus 3:5 HCSB).”
6. “so that no one can boast.” – God took the responsibility of our salvation off of us, and put it upon Himself, so that He alone would get all the honor and glory.  This distinguishes the relationship between the created, us, and our Creator; between the Savior, and the saved.  

Then, once we decide to put all our faith and trust in Jesus, God assures us of our salvation.  Here’s what God says says about our assurance through the Apostle John:

“I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13).”

And if that wasn’t enough, Jesus Himself said:

“My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one (John 10:27-30 HCSB).”

Are you sure of your salvation?  Do you want to be assured of your salvation?  Her’s how God says you can be:

1. Recognize that you’re a sinner and thank Him for sending Jesus, His only Son, to die on the cross in order to pay the ultimate price for your sin (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8) and raising Him from the dead in order to give you eternal life (John 3:16-18; Ephesians 1:13-14).
2. Tell Him that, at this moment, you willfully and intentionally choose to stop living your life in rebellion against Him and choose to start living your life as His disciple; that you commit to seeking Him, every day; following Him, every day; and that you will strive to live in immediate, radical, costly obedience to Him and only Him, no matter the cost – even if it costs you your life (2 Corinthians 5:15; Romans 10:9-10). Then, do it.
This is the only way you can become God’s child (John 1:12) and experience the fullness of His love, goodness, joy, peace and perfect care. Do this right now!

If you did this, God is so happy with you and wants to start working in your life and through your life. Please send me a message letting me know that you did it so that I can pray for you as you begin a new life in Christ.

In Christ’s love,

Phil