Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Sheer Grace

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

Salvation is by grace through faith alone. Over and over again I've heard that we have nothing to do with our salvation. If we did it would not be grace. Ephesians 2 clearly says, "it is not your own doing." But don't I play a part? After all, I prayed a prayer of commitment or "the sinner's prayer." Is regeneration a result of our prayer or is our prayer a result of regeneration? Please hear me, there are wonderful, godly men and women that fall into both camps. I never considered this before. That is before I read the following in John Piper's book: FINALLY ALIVE.

"...teaching about the new birth is unsettling because it refers to something that is done to us, not something we do...God causes the new birth; we don't...Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again (1 Pet. 1:3).

We do not cause the new birth. God causes the new birth. Any spiritually good thing that we do is a result of the new birth, not the cause of new birth. This means that the new birth is taken out of our hands. It is not in our control...

...Therefore if we are going to be born again, it will rely decisively and ultimately on God. His decision to make us alive will not be a response to what we as spiritual corpses do, but what we do will be a response to his making us alive." (John Piper, Finally Alive, pgs. 26-27).

WOW!!!! This made so much sense to me. After being a believer 25 years, I finally understand how my salvation as a "good, religious" girl is just as underserved, unearned and amazing as another who was running hard and fast away from God and was saved in the midst of a drug-induced high. Neither of us did one single thing to warrant salvation.

I believe that God did not respond to my cry of faith, but that I responded to God's regeneration of my spirit with a cry of faith. For the first time, I understand how salvation is on the basis of sheer grace.

I know there are some out there that will disagree with Piper's words, but for me, they have given me a whole new appreciation for my own salvation and a new perspective on sharing the gospel.

Diane

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