KneEmail - a devotional by Mike Benson associated with Forthright Magazine
Alone #4
SOME ARE CONVINCED that God's grace is all they need to get to heaven...
It is true that none would make it without God's marvelous grace. Paul said, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). We have noted that there is no way to earn salvation by works of merit (cf. Titus 3:5). Many take this to mean that man is saved by grace alone before and without any works of obedience. Is this what God is saying?
This passage says one is saved by grace, but it does not say that one is saved by grace alone. Grace through faith is not grace alone. If grace alone is enough to save, then every person would be saved since the "...grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men" ( Titus 2:11). Yet, the New Testament states that many will be lost (Matt. 7:13, 14, 21; 2 Thess. 1:8)
The young man who asked Jesus the question, "What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" (Matt. 19:16) was not told that he did not have to do anything because he was saved by God's grace alone. Instead Jesus told him to "keep the commandments" (Matt. 19:17b). The Lord also said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" ( John 14:15). Paul said we are saved by faith that works by love (Gal. 5:6; cf. Phil. 2:12). Clearly, grace is the ticket to heaven, but grace alone will not get us there. (Wade Webster)
KneEmail: "Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 2:5).