“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 2:8-9; NIV)
The Bible tells us that salvation is a gift that we can freely receive. No matter your social status, or the balance of your bank account, if you accept Jesus and the work He did on the cross for you, you become a child of God:
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12; NIV)
And even though salvation is free for us to receive — not dependent on our works or ability to keep the 10 commandments or something we buy with money — there was a price for our redemption. God didn’t just one day decide that He’ll forget about our sins, which separated us from Him. No, He decided to do the hardest thing a parent could ever do, which is to sacrifice His Son, Jesus, for us, so we can be reconciled to God.
In John 15:13, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (NIV)
Jesus loves you so much that He willingly laid down His life for you, died a horrendously painful death, carrying all of your sins and sicknesses (see Isaiah 53:4-5), so we could be made righteous (see 2 Corinthians 5:21), holy (see Colossians 1:22) and forever a beloved child of the Almighty God.
Don’t let anyone tell you that salvation comes through works. Your salvation was paid for; but it’s free for you to receive. All you have to “do” is believe.
