Salvation Is Free of Charge

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Every year we celebrate the 4th of July, Independence Day. For our freedom, men and women had to fight with blood, sweat, and tears to ensure it. Thank a veteran this week, because that freedom is never free. 

However, there is a spiritual freedom that wasn’t free either. It's called salvation. Jesus paid for it with His life, but because it’s already paid for, it’s free for us. As we see in Ephesians 2 above, we are saved by grace, through faith, in Jesus Christ alone. Humans are saved from their sins and from hell because God decided to give a free gift, not because of anything humans can do. 

Have you ever wondered what grace is? God's unmerited favor. It’s God giving us what we do not deserve, like heaven. Unfortunately, not all humans get this gift. Why not? Well, the middle portion of the passage above makes it clear… faith. Only people who choose to put their faith in Jesus Christ will receive God’s gracious gift of eternal life. With that, however, there is no requirement of good works, at all, whatsoever. 

What does it mean to put faith in Christ? It's to trust that Jesus has the ability to save you. It means you trust Him like you would trust a parachute. With His death and resurrection, He is the only hope of life, like a parachute is your hope when jumping from an airplane. You can’t flap your arms hard enough. There is absolutely nothing you can do on your own, except trust the parachute to do its job. Spiritually, it's the same. There is absolutely nothing you can do except go to Jesus and trust Him to save you. It is completely free, like a real gift, and God forgives sins past, present, and future.

Although no work is required from us to be saved, God does want something. Some call it the ABC’s of becoming a Christian. Admit, Believe, Confess.

1. Admit to God that you are a sinner and turn from your old lifestyle (1 John 1:9, Acts 3:19)

2. Believe that Jesus, the coequal Son of God, died for you and rose from the dead (Romans 10:9)

3. Confess that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9)

Romans 10:13 caps it off: “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

If you have never called on Him for salvation, you can do that right now. Admit to Him, believe in Him, and confess Him. He will save you. If you have done that, this Independence day, rest easy knowing that in our great country we are free, but also because God gave you freedom in Christ.