A Gifted Response

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. But if it is by works, then is it no longer by grace; otherwise work would no longer be work. Romans 11:6 MEV

As children, one of the most exciting holidays was Christmas. Why? Because we woke up to gifts under the tree! We were thrilled to find out if we got that shiny new bike or the latest popular toy. People often look back with fond memories of time spent with loved ones—and the joy of receiving those gifts.

But think for a moment: what often shaped how we saw those gifts? Loving parents gave them, yes, but the cultural narrative added something else—Santa Claus.

Remember the message? “You have to be good to get gifts.” He’s got a list, and he’s checking it twice—looking to see if you’ve been naughty or nice. The implication? The gifts were earned. It was all about behavior. Performance.

Sadly, this is the same mindset many Christians have about God’s grace.

We’ve turned the Father into a kind of “heavenly Santa Claus.” Be good, act right, do enough, and maybe you’ll receive from Him. But if you mess up? Expect coal—or silence. This is absolutely contrary to the Gospel Paul preached.

The Church has often drifted into performance-focused teaching, turning the Gospel into a rulebook of how to behave and earn God’s blessings—rather than proclaiming the Good News: that Jesus already did all the work.

The Gospel isn’t about what we do for God. It’s not about our dedication, devotion, or discipline. It’s about God’s Grace, revealed through Christ’s perfect Redemptive Work.

Religious tradition adds crushing burdens—rules, regulations, requirements—to “help” believers behave. But all that does is trade relationship for rules.

That’s not the Father’s heart.

The Christian life wasn’t designed to be difficult, heavy, or burdensome. Yes, life in a fallen world is full of challenges—but the life we have in Christ is a relationship based on the faithfulness of another, not our own. It’s built on Jesus' obedience, not ours.

This is what separates Christianity from every other religion or philosophy. Other systems require their followers to do more, work harder, and earn status. But true Christianity is centered on a Finished Work—on the sinlessness, perfection, and sacrifice of Another.

And that’s the Good News.

The work is done. The Father has accepted Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. Salvation has been purchased and secured forever by His blood.

We don’t have to earn God’s love. We don’t have to strive to be accepted. We don’t have to perform to be worthy of eternal life.

All we need to do is simply believe. This is also a gifted response as a result of hearing the Word of Christ and all He has done. 

This is the heart of the Gospel—God’s unearned, undeserved, unrepayable favor. Grace isn’t a reward for the worthy; it’s a gift for the believing. It’s not given because we’ve done everything right, but because Jesus did everything perfectly. You don’t qualify yourself—Jesus qualified you forever.

Grace means you don’t have to jump through spiritual hoops to be loved, blessed, or accepted. In Christ, you already are. No striving. No bargaining. No performance. Just a Good Father lavishing His favor on His children because of Jesus.

And this is just the beginning. In this new series, we’ll dive deep into the outrageous generosity of His Grace—how it saves you, secures you, empowers you, and forever settles your place in God’s heart.

Grace has no fine print. No loopholes. No earning it. Only believing it. More to come… and it only gets better.

Faith Food: God's image of you

 

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 NASB 

So · faith comes from hearing the message, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 MOUNCE

Nutritionists and doctors agree on the importance of a proper diet. It matters what we feed our bodies—there are both benefits and consequences. Did you know it's also vital to understand what we are feeding our spirits?

 If we want our Faith to grow, we must know what we are feeding on. Are we feeding more on our circumstances, the diagnosis, and the conditions around us—or on what God says in His Word? Are we feeding on what God declared or what the religious tradition of men says? 

 To become strong in Faith, we must first know the reality of the Lord's goodness. God is a Good Father. His lovingkindness gives us the assurance that we can trust Him. We must also know the truth of God's Word. What God says is Faithful and true, and we can count on it. 

 To grow stronger in Faith, we must also grow in another reality: our identity in Christ. We must know who we are in Him, and we must begin to see ourselves as God sees us. We must feed on or give attention to our true identity.

 This fallen and fractured world and the enemy work overtime to label us. They label us as failures, mediocre, common, never good enough, defeated, and broken. Is this what God declared? Is this who God says we are?

 God declares who we are, not circumstances, not setbacks, not failures. God declares we are overcomers. God says we are triumphant victors, not victims. God calls us more than conquerors, not defeated or fallen. God proclaims we are above and not beneath, the head and not the tail, not average or mediocre. 

 As we resist the enemy and refuse to conform to the world system, we must also reject the lies of religious tradition spoken over us. Religion says we don't measure up, we aren't doing enough. We are displeasing to God. We are unworthy, unrighteous, and have no security in Him. 

 God tells us who we really are, not the traditions of men. God declared us to be the Righteousness of God in Christ. We are Righteous not by our doing but based solely on the complete and Finished work of Christ Jesus. Our acceptance and approval come from Jesus' perfect Redemptive work, not our abstinence from sin or our good works. 

God has made us righteous and holy through His blood—kings and priests unto our God. He has forgiven us of all our sins forever. His Blood has made us worthy. He has unconditionally secured our salvation for all eternity. 

 We are secure in Christ. We have perfect peace, because we are forever in His hands and He will never let us go. We can walk tall knowing we are in Him and He is in us eternally. 

 Strong Faith comes not just from knowing His Words of promise, but also from a confident knowing of who we are in Him. Knowing our true identity means we can come boldly to the throne of our Father and receive all He has procured and provided for us in Redemption. 

Faith Food: What are you feeding on?

 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 NASB
So · faith comes from hearing the message, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 MOUNCE'

Today, many focus on diet, what we eat, and what we drink. Some even discuss, debate, and dispute which kind of diet is best for people. Is it a low-carb diet, a keto diet, or a no-dairy diet? This discourse seems endless. I don't have the answers for a natural diet, but I would like to ask about your spiritual diet.

 What are you feeding on, so to speak? Are you feeding on fear, anxiety, or worry? Are you feeding on the natural circumstances? What it looks like? How long its been that way? Are you feeding on the religious traditions of men? Telling you God's power has ceased, or how you never measure up to God's standards?

What you feed on—what you consistently give your attention to—shapes your life and the direction of your destiny in Christ. If all you feed on is fear and anxiety, and worry, then you will never fully trust God and take Him at His Word. If you feed on tradition, you will always second-guess your worth, value, and right standing in God's eyes.

 This is why it is essential to know and understand fully the Goodness of our Loving Father. Our Father is Faithful and true. No matter what we are facing, we know He is Good and He is not the author of our trouble or tribulation, but rather He is the victorious Savior, causing us to triumph over them. 

 When we know His character, His Goodness and Faithfulness, we can then take Him at His Word. Knowing His Word is true, because the One who spoke them is Good, Loving, and merciful. We can believe in and act on His Word because He is Faithful to His Word. 

 This is what Peter did, in Luke's Gospel. He took Jesus at His Word, and we see the result: a boat sinking harvest.

 Peter, an experienced fisherman, understood the circumstances. In the natural, a great catch after a fruitless night was unlikely. Peter said Nevertheless, at your Word I will let down the net. The Greek word here is the word Rhema. It means what is uttered, spoken, or declared. In essence, it can be a divine declaration. 

 What has God divinely declared over you? He declares that you are loved. He declares you are healed and whole. He declares you are free from fear, worry, and anxiety. When you accepted His free gift, He declared that you were His own. You are His child and have purpose and a future. He declared that you are the Righteousness of God and are accepted and approved.

 This is what you need to be feeding on. Not your temporary circumstances, challenges, or struggles. You need to tune out the negative and tune in to what God says about you. Tune in to what He accomplished for you in His redemptive work. Tune into what His triumphant resurrection purchased, procured, and provided for you.   

 How do you feed? By giving attention to His Word and what the Cross provided. Take time to study and read the Word, and see what God says and what He did about your situation. In essence, agree with God and receive all He has for you. When you feed on the Word of Christ and all He did for you, your Faith will grow exceedingly. 

image by Grok3 on X