GOD'S UNMERITED FAVOR
John L . Mitchell
acceptable to God. There was no hesitation, “ I sure would,” he replied. The answer is found in Ephesians 2 :8 , “ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Many people have the concept that heaven is something that can be earned through man’s own goodness. God says heaven is His gift. It is something we receive by His grace. Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It is given to us freely. This is contrary to our
natural thought. It is instinctive for man to try to pacify a God who is displeased with sin in his li f e .. People struggle, work, impose punishment and harm upon themselves, all with the hope of pacifying the Creator and earning a place in heaven. In “ grace” we have the attitude of God; in “ faith” we have the attitude of man; in the word “ saved” we have the result when these two attitudes converge. In the original Greek Paul was saying, “ For by grace have you Page 13
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