“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is a great verse to revel in when you inevitably began to get within your darker emotions and feelings and began to burden yourself with whether or not you are doing enough through righteous living and good deeds. Now, one should strive to genuinely do these things but should not mistake this as being enough to gain salvation. Through maturity, knowledge and understanding, one will learn that the gift of eternal life and salvation is worth working towards; worth living for.

That same knowledge, understanding, and maturity will point out that one does not receive grace because of who they are or solely based on the good acts they continuously do, but just because of grace by itself and what grace means. Grace is not earned but is always freely given. We have the power and ability to give genuine grace to others and the Most High through Christ gives us grace on the daily. The difference is that a person’s grace may run out due to principles, error, and emotions, but the Most High’s grace remains constant- as long as you have breath to witness the grace.

Although grace is freely given and one does not have to work for grace, there is such thing as praying for grace. On top of this, one should not believe that just because grace is provided that they do not have to produce anything at all. No. One still has to put in work and vehemently work towards the kingdom as all that we do should be for the Lord and the kingdom.

So one should not sit and twiddle thumbs thinking they can leisurely or passively let life go by. You still have to show the Lord you are always down for Him as He is for you. You still have to use all that He has given you- talents, gifts, abilities, blessings, and your entire life itself to do service towards the kingdom. We must work and build for the Lord on the foundation that has already been laid for us.

Accordingly, 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 states:

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building;

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon; but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon;

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ;

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is;

If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward;

If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

So, by grace are we saved, but we still have WORK to do!!