For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
You may have someone at your club like John Stevens or Lou Hartnett.
John has been a member of Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, NC, and Links Fellowship for many years. He has achieved a phenomenal feat: In 227 rounds of golf, his score was lower than his age. That’s remarkable.
Lou Hartnett is 98 years old and a member of Woodside Country Club in Aiken, SC, which has a Women’s Links Fellowship. Recently, Lou made her first-ever hole-in-one! A “choked down” 5-wood from 96 yards ended up in the bottom of the cup! Amazing!!
Two examples of achievements the greatest game ever invented has produced, and it is truly a gift to be able to play it.
Every round we play is a chance to do something great. We were introduced to the gift of golf in some magnificent way, maybe by a parent or grandparent or by a childhood friend at a summer camp. It is the best! Of course, there are bad rounds and bad shots that we all wish wouldn’t happen. But even in the bad, the game is still a gift.
As glorious as this game is, it cannot compare to the gift provided by God Almighty in His Son, the Lord Jesus. Look at how Paul describes God’s gift of salvation.
“For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
The Apostle Paul makes it very clear. Salvation from sin and its penalty of death is given to us. It is not earned. It is not achieved. It is a gift given to undeserving people.
If you follow Jesus Christ, you at some point looked to Him by faith, believing that His death would make the payment (See Romans 5:8) for your sin debt.
By God’s grace (Ephesians 2:5), He opened your eyes (Ephesians 1:18) to see your desperate need for salvation. And according to his abundant mercy, you were saved. Not because your grandmother was a godly woman. Not because of your giving records to the church. Not because of your ethnicity or nationality. You were saved because God gave you His salvation (Psalm 51:12).
It. Is. A. Gift.
Our society is plagued with false teachers peddling a salvation that requires Jesus plus other things. The Bible teaches that Jesus alone is all you need to be saved. His atonement, that is, His work in life and death that earned our salvation, is sufficient. It is through Christ’s life and cross-work (v.9, Romans 5:18) that salvation is granted to those who, by faith, look to Him. Our efforts are worthless.
Our response to the gift of salvation delivered through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus must be praise and service. We praise Him for saving us. Our worship of Him reflects the unspeakable joy we have because of Him.
We serve Him, not to be saved, but to express our eternal gratitude for His salvation and to align with His heart that all might be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
Prayer: Father, Thank you for saving me from my sin and use me for your glory. Amen.