Saved by Grace!

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in our trespasses. You are saved by grace!"

Ephesians 2:4-5

Shame can cause deep anxiety. Many of us have experienced difficult days and seasons where we feel trapped in a cycle of shame. We may find ourselves dwelling on our sins and shortcomings, feeling entirely undeserving and unworthy. I had one of these days recently, and what woke me up was an important reminder of truth: I will never be good enough without being fully dependent on the grace of God. That’s the whole point of the gospel—Jesus came, full of grace and truth, because we could never be good enough on our own. Let that truth sink in deep.

As we continually look inward at ourselves, we will believe that we are too far gone, too unloveable, and too full of sin to be in relationship with Jesus. The truth sets our minds free when we look to Jesus, and we remember that His work on the cross is more powerful than any of our sin and shortcomings.

Though our sin is great, His grace is always greater.

As we look away from ourselves and to the face of Christ, He fills us with the truth of the gospel and abundant life. Each moment that we feel stuck in sin and shame, we can refocus our eyes to Jesus and the grace He has poured out on us, remembering His redeeming love and the finished work on the cross. We find freedom from our shame when we repent and receive Christ's forgiveness, stepping into the abundant life that we could not achieve by ourselves. John 10:10 says, “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”

Throughout Scripture, we are reminded of our deep need to depend on Christ. Here are some passages that can inspire us and remind us to focus our hearts on Christ—

Abide in Jesus (John 15:4-5)

Jesus must become greater, and we must become less (John 3:30) 

Jesus is our Good Shepherd & we listen to His voice (John 10:27) 

Jesus is the only way to life (John 14:6) 

Jesus gives our hearts rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

Friend, we desperately need Jesus every day.

Ephesians 2:4-5 reminds us that God's rich mercy has been poured out on us. We are saved by His grace, through faith in Jesus. May we rest in this truth, and allow it to bring our hearts into deeper dependence on the Lord, and greater awe of His goodness. <3