Not Because We Loved Him | Apostolic Wisdom Daily Manna

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, but it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, BSB)

When someone we love dies, a family looks for comfort. Often it sounds like this: he had a good heart, everyone loved him, so he must be in heaven. We say it because we love him, and because the other thought is too painful to say aloud. Picture a family sitting in a small room after a funeral. The tea has gone cold. Someone says, "He is with God now." Nobody argues, and nobody wants to. Yet one quiet person in the corner is not sure, and is afraid to ask. This verse speaks to that corner. Salvation is "by grace", "through faith", "not by works". It is not because everyone loved us. It is not because of how well or badly we suffered. It is not because of the name we carry. It comes from what Christ finished on the cross, and it is given as a gift.