Freely Loved: Embracing God’s Grace Through Faith (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Do you feel like you have to earn God’s love? Have you been taught that only through works will you receive salvation? If you have not received the beautiful Gospel of grace through faith, this message is for you my dear friend.
Satan’s lies
You have to earn God’s love and blessings.
Only through striving will you obtain favor from the Lord.
If you are disobedient, God will take away your inheritance.
You have to earn salvation through works.
You have to earn forgiveness.
God will condemn you by making you feel shame and guilt.
God is not a loving Father who cares for you.
You are deserving of God’s wrath even after becoming a child of God.
God’s Truth Wrapped in Love
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 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 2:4-9
Love God
God made a way for you to become His child. You were grafted into the family of God when you gave your life to Christ. God is a loving, just, perfect and holy God. He has standards for how we should live our lives as believers. When your mindset becomes about earning and striving the affections, blessings, or power of God, that is when you must reevaluate your heart. God created guidelines for us to be safe and walk towards holiness as we become like Jesus. However, His intentions from the beginning were for commune with His children. He always sought to have a meaningful relationship with you. He never wanted it to be about checking off a to-do list or stressing out about following His commands.
God’s Word says that we are seated at the right hand of the Father in Christ! He yearns to gives the desires of His heart which are the incomparable riches of His mercy and an abundance of love. Our minds can’t fathom what that actually entails but I imagine that it surpasses everything we could ever possibly want. Therefore, God’s love is abounding. If you seek the Lord, your inheritance is secure because it is found in Jesus and Him alone.
Love Yourself
My dear friend, give yourself grace. God loves you no matter what you do and nothing could ever separate you from His love. Learn to surrender your insecurities or striving mentality to God so that He may heal and restore the brokenness in your life. Be gentle and kind towards yourself. You have already accomplished so much and God is so proud of you. He wants your heart more than your accolades. He just wants to love you and be loved by you.
Love Others
People are often struggling with their insecurities, hardships, fears, anxieties or intrusive thoughts that keep them from living a whole life. As much as others may be difficult to love sometimes, I encourage you to show them grace, compassion, and empathy. The truth is, we are not here on this earth for ourselves. We are here for Jesus and to love on His people which means our mandate as the body of Christ is the ministry of reconciliation. We are called to reconcile the lost, broken, and marginalized back to God and bring restoration to His kingdom. The Scripture says to love God and your neighbor as yourself. You have to start with your relationship with God, then learn to love yourself rightly and you can pour out to others from a place of overflow and not lack. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you through this process when it seems difficult. He will guide every step.
My Story
I struggled with shame, guilt and condemnation heavily throughout my life. I would listen to the accuser and even punish myself in my own mind. I became my own abuser mentally when I would repeat the lies the enemy told me to myself. I dealt with chronic Depression and suicidal ideation. I held self-hatred and loathing in my heart. I believed I was undeserving of God’s love and that I had to earn my way to His “good side” in order to receive His blessings. If I made mistakes or failed I would feel like I wasn’t good enough for anything and live in shame. I had such a distorted view of the Gospel that I was still in bondage although the Lord had set me free. I was imprisoned in my mind with the handcuffs unlocked but I kept them on. The door was open and I could walk out but allowed the enemy to create a narrative so deep in my mind and heart that it took me years to get out.
Finally, earlier this year, I was released from all of it and I now have a newfound perspective on who I am as a child of God! I love God, myself, and others because of Jesus. He is my everything and I aim my entire life on pleasing Him and becoming like Him. If God could transform my life, I believe that He can do it for you.
Love Notes
My love note for you is to swim in the mercy, love, and grace of His kindness. Enjoy the gift! BE FREE! Walk as if you are anointed child of God with a glorious inheritance in Christ! Fix your gaze on Jesus and not your circumstance. God will work it all out. He loves you too much to let you stay where you are. He will always call you higher to Heaven!
Prophetic Word
The chains are coming off! God is releasing you from the snare of the enemy. You are no longer a slave to sin but a servant of the Lord in whom He is well pleased. He has already forgive you and set you free. You just need to open your hands and receive the free gift that is your inheritance.
Ephesians 3-4
Good News!
God adores you. He is rich in love and mercy. God demonstrated His kindness and love by sending Jesus to die on the cross for you so that you may live a life of freedom. Once you give your life to Jesus, you are no longer dead in your transgressions! You once deserved wrath and punished but Jesus paid the penalty for your sins so that you didn’t have to! He is the reason why you get to start each day with a clean slate.
You have been made alive in Christ. It is simply by grace through faith in Jesus that you are saved. You don’t have to earn or deserve God’s love. It is a gift that is freely given. Your salvation is guaranteed by the promised Holy Spirit who is here now to teach you to become like Christ and walk towards the Kingdom of Heaven through the process of sanctification. You can lean on the Spirit to guide, comfort, and give you strength through every season.
Love in Action
Read Ephesians 1-2. Meditate on this scripture and take 10 minutes to hear from God. Get my devotional workbook How to Trust God Today to help you overcome challenges and put your trust in God. After going through the journaling prompts, email or DM me on Instagram, I would love to hear your reflections, challenges, and questions.
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