Grace: The Gift We Struggle to Accept
Photo by john crozier on Unsplash
Have you ever received a gift so generous, so unexpected, that your first instinct was to say, “I have to do something in return”? That feeling is natural—many of us are wired to believe that nothing truly comes for free. We want to earn, contribute, or at least repay kindness. But when it comes to salvation through Jesus Christ, this instinct can get in the way of experiencing the fullness of God’s grace.
The Bible tells us that salvation is not something we work for or earn—it’s a gift. Plain and simple. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) says, “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.” That means no striving, no scorekeeping—just receiving.
Still, many believers wrestle with the idea that they don’t need to “pay God back.” Romans 11:6 (NIV) puts it clearly: “And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.” Grace stops being grace the moment we try to earn it. And yet, that’s exactly what we often try to do.
Maybe that’s because, in our world, unconditional gifts are rare. We're used to fine print, to favors that come with expectations. So when God offers something as valuable as eternal life—free of charge—it can feel... too good to be true. But Romans 6:23 (NIV) assures us: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It really is a gift.
And just in case we’re tempted to believe we need to get our act together first, Romans 5:8 (NIV) says: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Not after we cleaned up our mess. Not once we’d proven ourselves. While we were still sinners.
When we truly embrace this kind of grace—this no-strings-attached, freely given love—it changes everything. It frees us. The fruit of that freedom shows up in our lives through what Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) calls the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Grace gives room for growth. It replaces fear with peace. As 1 John 4:18 (NIV) beautifully reminds us: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
When we stop trying to earn God’s gift and start living in the reality of it, something profound happens—we begin to experience real unity with Jesus. In John 17:21 (NIV), Jesus prays, “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” That kind of closeness isn’t based on performance—it’s built on relationship.
So the next time you feel like you have to “do more” to make yourself worthy of God’s love, remember: His gift is already yours. Just receive it. Let it transform you. That’s the beauty of grace.
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Author’s Note:
What you’ll read here comes from my heart. I wrote it, but I also used BibleQuestions.com and ChatGPT to help express it more clearly. These tools helped refine my words, but the message is fully mine.