Saved by grace through faith....

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8

Grace is A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:6)

When I look back at my teenage years, I often wonder how someone like me could be loved by the Most High God. I was no angel. I did things I am certainly not proud of. I rebelled against alot of things. I knew that there was a God. I knew that He sent His son Jesus to die for me, so that I may be saved and spend eternity in Heaven.

I'm not sure that I exactly understood the love that my Heavenly Father had for me. Even though I had received Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was about 13. I spent the next six and a half years pleasing my selfish, wordly desires;and doing whatever I pleased. I spent my entire teenage years trying to be someone I was not. I wanted so badly to be friends with people that loved the pleasures of this world,example....alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, name it.....they did it, and it was cool!

God had not forgotten about me. He remembered that day when I was 13 , when I had given my life to Him. He knew I would journey off the straight and narrow path that leads straight to Him. I would be back and He knew that.

I thank God for His mercy, His compassion and never ending love. He rescued me and my life took on a whole new meaning. I started to believe my worth. I started really believing in God's promise. I believed in Him, I had faith in Him. Because I had faith in what Jesus had done for me God's grace poured out into my life. I really knew with all my heart that God had saved me.

So, even though I messed up. God did not turn His back on me. He had mercy on me. He knows we are not perfect. He knows that we will mess up. We can't earn this gift, but we can freely receive. We don't have to do anything but accept His son Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Receive Him, allow Him to come and take over for you. Let HIm work out everything for you.Why not? It doesn't cost you anything, Jesus already paid that price when He died on the cross for you. If you can fully grasp what that means, You'll never be the same. I thank the Lord for this truth.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. - Psalm 145:8-9

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

I thank you Lord, you saved me and I will forever be in awe of You. I thank You for the revelation that you have placed inside of me. I will never be the same. Amen


Posted: 10:27 PM, 2006-Feb-2