The Heart of the Gospel

“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 NIV)

The self-made man or woman is an American icon.  In general, Americans don’t look too fondly upon those who make it in life relying on handouts or the kindness of others.  We are more than willing to help people who have fallen on hard times, but we expect people to earn their way if they are able to do so.  

It is this mindset that makes the gospel such a hard sell.  Many can acknowledge Jesus died for their sins, but then they also believe they must be a good person to earn His favor.   Many can proclaim God’s grace, but then despise those who they view as treating them in the wrong way.   

The gospel is a radical concept, and truth be told, it is often hard for us implement in our everyday lives.  To a people steeped in a tradition of picking yourself up by your own bootstraps, it is something often very hard to grasp.  This is why many people are attracted to legalistic or religious forms of faith.  It meets their inclinations and desires to earn their way.  

But at the heart of the gospel is freedom.  God freely, without obligation, gave His love to us.  Thus, He wants our response to be free and without a sense of obligation.  In other words, we love and obey Him because we love Him and not because we have a need to earn His favor.  

Today, recognize you cannot earn God’s love.  He has already freely given it to you though you’ve done nothing to deserve it.  All He wants you to do is to freely accept it and freely love Him in return.  

© Jim Musser 2016