Pillar 2 - Growing in Faith
Saving Grace
The Bible proclaims grace abounds.
Most people vaguely understand that grace is good — but few have grasped how completely it overturns every human instinct to earn, deserve, or perform.
This is the truth in its simplest form — the same words printed inside every Saving Grace Truth Card:
Do You Not Know?
The Word Became Flesh And Made His Dwelling Among Us …. Look, The Lamb of God, Who Takes Away The Sin Of The World!
Have You Not Heard?
For It Is By Grace You Have Been Saved, Through Faith — Not By Works, So That No One Can Boast.
HELL - ENDLESS AGONY WITH SATAN IN THE LAKE OF FIRE
OR
HEAVEN - ETERNAL LIFE OF JOY, PEACE AND LOVE WITH CHRIST JESUS
The Choice Is Yours!!
Where Will You Spend Eternity?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
The Choice Is Yours!!
Do not move past this too quickly.
If this is true, which it is, it changes everything about your life.
What Scripture Says About Grace
Mercy and grace are often spoken of together as gifts of God, yet they are very different. Simply put, mercy is not receiving from God what you deserve while grace is receiving from God what you do not deserve.
Under the law, righteousness, or right-standing before God, is dependent on flawless obedience of the law. This assumption is explicitly denied by Scripture: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 and again “By works of the law no human being will be justified.” Galatians 2:16
Grace, on the other hand, provides righteousness as a gift, through faith, based on the perfection of Christ. Not only was His earthly life unblemished by sin, but His death paid the price for the sin of all mankind as witnessed by His resurrection, overcoming death, the penalty for sin. As God’s holy Lamb, Christ now sits at the right hand of God to reconcile you to the Father.
Romans 8:1 states “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” You are first saved by grace in order that you may do good works as evidence of your salvation. “We are created in Christ Jesus for good works.” Ephesians 2:10
Saving grace begins by confession and repentance, surrendering your will to the will of Jesus Christ. “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 Yet to think the work of grace ends here is to grossly misunderstand its role.
Grace also serves to transform you, sustains you and empowers you. Grace works from the inside out to transform each believer into the image of Christ in a process of sanctification. “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:2
Grace always abounds. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 Ezekiel 36:26-27 prophesies this covenant work of grace: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees.” All is grace!
What Others Ask
Q. What is saving grace in Christianity?
A. Saving grace is God's unmerited favor extended to sinners through Jesus Christ. It is the divine act by which God, despite humanity's rebellion, offers forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal life — not because we deserve it, but because of His love. Titus 2:11 says 'the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.'
Q. What does "saved by grace through faith" mean in Ephesians 2:8
A. Ephesians 2:8-9 states: 'For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.' Salvation is entirely God's initiative (grace) received through trust in Christ (faith) — not earned through moral achievement or religious performance.
Q. What is the difference between grace and mercy in the Bible?
A. Mercy is God withholding the punishment we deserve. Grace is God giving us the blessing we do not deserve. Both flow from God's character. Together, they describe the full scope of salvation: God does not give us what sin earned (mercy), and He gives us what only Christ earned (grace) — righteousness, reconciliation, and eternal life.
Q. Can grace be lost, or is salvation permanent?
A. This is debated among Christians. Those who hold to perseverance of the saints point to John 10:28-29: 'No one can snatch them out of my hand.' Others emphasize the need for ongoing faith. What Scripture consistently affirms is that God's grace is sufficient to keep those who genuinely trust Him — and that assurance of salvation is a gift He intends believers to possess.
Q. How do I live in response to the grace God has given me?
A. Titus 2:12 says grace 'trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.' Grace is not a license to live carelessly — it is the power to live differently. The appropriate response to grace is gratitude expressed through obedience, generosity, and sharing what we have received with others.
Digging Deeper Introduction
Grace initiates your life with Christ: “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 Yet the work of grace does not stop with forgiveness. Grace also transforms you, empowering you to mature in Christ.
As you face your own weaknesses, grace gives you the power to remain faithful. After praying three times to have a weakness removed, Paul was admonished by the Lord “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 Paul then realized that he would not hide his weaknesses, but rather rejoice in them “so that Christ’s power might rest” on him. In his humility and dependence on the Lord, Paul learned “when I am weak, then I am strong.” v10
This covenant transformation by grace was prophesied in Ezekiel 36:26-27 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees.” Grace transforms you from the inside out by reorienting how you understand yourself and your relationship with God. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purposes.” Philippians 2:13
Have you received your gift of grace?
Someone’s eternity depends on it!
Awaken the sleeper!
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