8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. But if it is by works, then is it no longer by grace; otherwise work would no longer be work. Romans 11:6 MEV
As children, one of the most exciting holidays was Christmas. Why? Because we woke up to gifts under the tree! We were thrilled to find out if we got that shiny new bike or the latest popular toy. People often look back with fond memories of time spent with loved ones—and the joy of receiving those gifts.
But think for a moment: what often shaped how we saw those gifts? Loving parents gave them, yes, but the cultural narrative added something else—Santa Claus.
Remember the message? “You have to be good to get gifts.” He’s got a list, and he’s checking it twice—looking to see if you’ve been naughty or nice. The implication? The gifts were earned. It was all about behavior. Performance.
Sadly, this is the same mindset many Christians have about God’s grace.
We’ve turned the Father into a kind of “heavenly Santa Claus.” Be good, act right, do enough, and maybe you’ll receive from Him. But if you mess up? Expect coal—or silence. This is absolutely contrary to the Gospel Paul preached.
The Church has often drifted into performance-focused teaching, turning the Gospel into a rulebook of how to behave and earn God’s blessings—rather than proclaiming the Good News: that Jesus already did all the work.
The Gospel isn’t about what we do for God. It’s not about our dedication, devotion, or discipline. It’s about God’s Grace, revealed through Christ’s perfect Redemptive Work.
Religious tradition adds crushing burdens—rules, regulations, requirements—to “help” believers behave. But all that does is trade relationship for rules.
That’s not the Father’s heart.
The Christian life wasn’t designed to be difficult, heavy, or burdensome. Yes, life in a fallen world is full of challenges—but the life we have in Christ is a relationship based on the faithfulness of another, not our own. It’s built on Jesus' obedience, not ours.
This is what separates Christianity from every other religion or philosophy. Other systems require their followers to do more, work harder, and earn status. But true Christianity is centered on a Finished Work—on the sinlessness, perfection, and sacrifice of Another.
And that’s the Good News.
The work is done. The Father has accepted Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. Salvation has been purchased and secured forever by His blood.
We don’t have to earn God’s love. We don’t have to strive to be accepted. We don’t have to perform to be worthy of eternal life.
All we need to do is simply believe. This is also a gifted response as a result of hearing the Word of Christ and all He has done.
This is the heart of the Gospel—God’s unearned, undeserved, unrepayable favor. Grace isn’t a reward for the worthy; it’s a gift for the believing. It’s not given because we’ve done everything right, but because Jesus did everything perfectly. You don’t qualify yourself—Jesus qualified you forever.
Grace means you don’t have to jump through spiritual hoops to be loved, blessed, or accepted. In Christ, you already are. No striving. No bargaining. No performance. Just a Good Father lavishing His favor on His children because of Jesus.
And this is just the beginning. In this new series, we’ll dive deep into the outrageous generosity of His Grace—how it saves you, secures you, empowers you, and forever settles your place in God’s heart.
Grace has no fine print. No loopholes. No earning it. Only believing it. More to come… and it only gets better.
