Powerpoint - Feb. 16, 2011
Accepting God's free gift of salvation
February 16, 2011
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.
Ephesians 2:8-9
There's a feeling among Christians today, I think especially among American Christians, where they think they need to have some kind of input into their eternal destiny. Part of this comes from the idea of the ‘American Dream', which teaches that our own fate is up to us and if we want to make something of ourselves, we need to just work harder to make it happen.
But salvation can't be earned by just working harder. In fact, it can't be earned at all because it's a gift!
Just imagine if you gave me a gift for Christmas and I pulled out my wallet and asked, "How much do I owe you?" Not only would it insult you, but it would diminish the value of the gift itself.
The grace of God is a gift that can't be paid for by you. God doesn't want you to pull out your wallet of good works and try to pay him for saving you (as if you had enough). But he does want you to do good works out of a heart of thankfulness for the grace he's shown you. There's a big difference.
In Christ, every provision has already been made for you and our King has spared no expense. Your and my salvation has been accomplished at the cross, paid for in full by our Savior Jesus Christ. Salvation is not some goal to be achieved. It's a gift to be received.
GOOD WORKS CAN NEVER ACHIEVE SALVATION BECAUSE IT IS A FREE GIFT OF GOD.
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OUR GIFT TO YOU!
I want to send you a special gift that will help make getting into God's Word easy for you or someone you care about.
It's a copy of the ESV Share the Good News New Testament, and I'd like to send it to you as my way of saying thanks for your online donation to PowerPoint Ministries.
This version of the New Testament includes reading plans and topical guides for locating key verses and passages, and it's perfect for people who are new to the Bible or those who like to find a quick Bible reference.
So request a copy of the ESV Share the Good News New Testament when you give your online gift today.
Thank you for giving to help PowerPoint continue to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ! --Jack Graham
