⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—⁹not the result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

We must understand grace, faith, and works in order to truly comprehend redemption. During this season of Lent, we must meditate on the beautiful harmony between these three words. Paul describes how much God loved us and how he made us alive together with our Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, God raised us up in heavenly places in Christ and made us sit together, showing us the exceeding riches of his grace!

Grace means unmerited favor. We can see a gracious God, full of mercy, love, and kindness for humanity. Nothing in us deserves salvation; however, the Lord has reached out through Jesus to save unfaithful humans. We do not save ourselves by meritorious works (v. 9); God saves us by grace using the channel of our faith. He expects us to trust in and act on his Word.

Therefore, we are not saved by “faith only,” but through faith that works and that keeps on working. God has saved us to serve. After all, we are a masterpiece of creation, God’s workmanship. In Christ, we receive God’s grace through our faith and become his work of art. People should be able to see our good works and glorify our heavenly Father.

Our good works are not meant to be limited to Sunday morning, but should be a part of every day, as long as he gives us life. This world needs to know Christ, and people who have been redeemed must share their faith with people who are in need. We need to celebrate our redemption by sharing the good news of salvation with all the nations of the earth. Let us go out and serve, celebrating God’s wonderful grace and salvation through his obedient only Son. God has inseparably joined grace, faith, and works together in his plan for our salvation.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the grace poured out on your people. Thank you for the gift of salvation. Use our lives to glorify your name. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Martha Amaro is a Christian educator serving in partnership with the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico, along with her husband, Jaime, since 2001. They train leaders nationwide to facilitate the Children and Worship Program and develop children’s clubs to spread the good news of Jesus.