EPHESIANS 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Grace is unmerited favor (charis in the Greek). A similar word in Greek ('charisma') means "gift". We are wholly undeserving of any and all kindness of GOD because of our sinful condition and yet there is JOHN 3:16. God sent His Son to die for our sins, establish righteousness for us to enjoin a new relationship with GOD as our Abba Father. Our entire relationship is based on the grace of GOD, even the truth revealed to us from Scripture is based on grace. The indwelling Spirit that lives in the heart of every born again believer, is based on grace. Obedience is empowered by the Spirit of GOD's grace. Grace produces all that we need in order to fulfill GOD's will in our lives. When we walk in grace, obedience will be evident, our works will follow, proving that we are indeed redeemed by the LAMB of GOD and His shed blood!
Grace not only provides the means of salvation in the forgiveness of sins, but it also empowers us to help in time of need, in time of temptation to sin, so that we are able to resist sin and walk in holiness (HEB 4:16). For more on this see also ROMANS 5:20-21; 6:22-23 and JOHN 3:15-17.
ANOTHER TIDBIT of TRUTH
1 SAMUEL 16:7
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
We have only our natural senses with which we can discern things. They can only tell us so much, but GOD sees all; there is absolutely nothing hidden from Him at. He alone discerns the heart of man (JER 17:10). He has summarily concluded that our hearts are sinful, evil, unholy, in fact, incurable (JER 17:9). Yet He hasn't left us hopeless in our desperately deplorable state.
By redemption through CHRIST and HIS imputing His OWN Righteousness to OUR account, along with His eternal, life-giving Spirit, we have a NEW heart created in us directly by the Spirit of our Creator GOD! (See EZEK 36:26; JOHN 3:3; TITUS 3:5; 1 PET 1:23).
This is our peace, our peace WITH GOD (ROM 5:1) and the blessedness of the peace OF GOD (PHIL 4:7) as we, with renewed hearts commune with our Abba Father. He looks upon our (NEW) hearts, the habitat of the HOLY Spirit, Who can now reside comfortably there, since our heart is no longer our old and evil heart, but a fresh, clean new heart.
This is not to say we are without a sin nature however: our flesh, our old man, that thing that yet plagues our souls is still with us and will remain until our bodies are redeemed and we are granted glorified bodies.
Yes, He looks upon the hearts of His adopted children, the saints of the church, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and is blessed to see His Son reigning there. Thank You LORD that you can look not just upon the outward - which is still prone to sin, but upon our heart and behold, the righteousness of Christ which ever and always persists in the sanctifying power of the Spirit to bring that inward righteousness to the outward, as we daily grow in the likeness of Christ!. AMEN!
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