Scripture paints a grim picture of mankind apart from the Lord: dead in our sins, under God’s wrath, and subject to eternal separation from Him (Ephesians 2:1-3). Through the cross, we are given a second chance to be in a relationship with the Lord. When we trust in Christ, He pours out His unconditional love—and grace—upon us.
Because of grace, we have been justified by faith. Justification is a declaration by God that we are not guilty in His sight. At salvation, Jesus died on the cross and rescued us from the penalty for our transgressions. All our disobedience—past, present, and future—is fully forgiven.
We gain this remarkable pardon through genuine faith in Jesus Christ—in other words, by acknowledging God’s judgment that we are sinners who need a Savior because we’re unable to save ourselves. True faith rests on the belief that Jesus’s death atoned for our sins, God accepted His Son’s sacrifice on our behalf, and we are fully forgiven. Grace gives us peace with God. Because we’ve trusted in Christ, we’ve been adopted into the heavenly Father’s family (John 1:12-13) and have His favor forever.
Through grace, we have been offered a fresh start. May we make full use of this opportunity by passionately pursuing God with all our heart.
Bible in One Year: Luke 2-3
