God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. -Ephesians 2:8
I resonate with what this verse teaches when it says a gift is something that we "can’t take credit for". Yet to actually be a gift, the thing given must be received. For example, a person can give you a check for $100 but it will be of no effect unless you endorse the check. That does not enable a person to claim credit for the gift but only makes the gift useful.
So it is with salvation. Apart from the grace of God we are unable to receive the gift of salvation. Yet apart from saying yes to the Holy Spirit, this grace is rendered useless. I find this to be true of the full length of eternal life. The Holy Spirit is there giving gifts of grace and we simply say yes to them. And as we cooperate with the Spirit, he works in us.
Lord, help me to be one who cooperates with your Spirit and receives yours gifts.
... this devotion is part of an ongoing series on words in the bible.
amen
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