Sir Godfrey Gregg
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 NIV
Consider a paraphrase of today’s verse: “God offers to rescue you and make you part of His family. You have to believe you can’t rescue yourself and need His help. When You act on that belief, You receive a gift only God can give.”
It may sound peculiar, but you have to have faith (believe) that you can’t rescue yourself. You may agree that you need faith and God, but you must be wholeheartedly convinced that on your own you can’t do enough good, make up for bad decisions, or rely on your ability to make perfect decisions in the future. You will fail yourself, others, and God.
God’s gift is important for two reasons. (1) It takes the pressure off because you accept the perfection of God’s gon, Jesus, on your behalf, and (2) it ensures that if you accept His gift you’re completely accepted by God.
If you believe you can live up to God’s standard, If you believe you can live up to God’s standard, you also indicate that you don t believe you need to » rescued. Without rescue, you can’t be part of God’s family.
THE MYSTICAL COURT 