Journey to the Cross 
Pause
In our day-to-day lives of deadlines and expectations, we are challenged to remember that we are saved, by the grace of God, through our faith. We are not saved by perfection or status or wealth; we are saved by a relationship with God. We cannot earn salvation through good works or right words. God’s love and our faith in God is what saves us.
Listen
You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.
Ephesians 2:8-10
Think
As Americans, we use the words “I”, “my,” and “mine” quite a lot. There are a number of reasons for this, ranging from the structure of English as compared to other languages, to participating in a fairly self-centered culture. As a society, we place high value on individuality and achievement. We live under pressure to set and attain goals, to be the best at what we do, to strive for excellence. And when we do, we love to receive recognition for our accomplishments.
But God isn’t limited by American cultural practices. It may be tough on our brains to figure out what it means that salvation is a God-given gift that we cannot earn or acquire through effort. We can’t boast about it because we didn’t do anything to deserve it. “Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things,” says the writer of Ephesians. Stop and think about that for a minute. If you considered yourself “God’s accomplishment,” what affect would that have on your life?
Becky Ullom Naugle
Pray
Amazing God, who paints the sky and raises up the mountains, I am humbled that my life is listed among your accomplishments. It seems too good to be true that I am saved by your grace because of my faith, but I trust in this truth. Strengthen my faith today and in the days to come. Amen.
Go
Go into your day-to-day life confidently, knowing that God has brought you to life with Christ. Remember God’s love for you; remember your faith in God. You cannot go where God is not!
