Grace means you’re helpless to be saved apart from Christ, but Grace doesn’t mean that you live a Christian life of perpetual helplessness.
What is Grace?
Grace is the finished work of Jesus for our salvation. We are saved by Grace, through faith. We aren’t saved by our works or by our attempt to adhere to the law. We need the blood of Jesus, and His resurrection. Grace is all about Jesus and what He accomplished for us.
Romans and Hebrews unpacks a lot of this contrast between being “under the law” vs. being “under Grace.” As Christians, we are not under the law, but under Grace. We need Jesus for our salvation.
What is Grace NOT?
Grace is not a continued helplessness in our Christian lives. Yes, we are helpless to save ourselves apart from Christ, but once we are born again we have a new identity together with Christ that we begin to live out of. Ephesians 2 talks about how we’re created for good works to actually walk in.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10
Some Christians agree that we’re saved by Grace through faith, not through works, but have a hard time understanding God has good works that we should walk in now that we’re saved. They may think, “Doesn’t Grace mean it’s not about works at all?” Grace means we’re not saved by works, but it doesn’t mean we don’t walk in good works together with Christ which demonstrate actual fruits of our faith.
Grace Allows Us to Walk with Jesus
Jesus doesn’t just leave us to be continually helpless when we become Christians. He leads us through sanctification, refines us, grows us. Just as a father lets his son learn through mistakes and trial and error in the safety of his love, Jesus wants us to walk out our faith in action.
Grace doesn’t mean we give up, throw our hands in the air, and choose to be helpless day by day saying, “I can’t do anything.” That should not be the pattern of a Christian life. If we really understand our life in Christ then we know we are overcomers together with Jesus. In order to overcome we must exercise our authority over the enemy, having faith in our new identity. Grace isn’t an intellectual concept where we agree with needing Jesus for salvation, but then live the rest of our lives as though we’re incapable of growing.
Helplessness and inaction is not where Grace should lead you if you truly understand your new identity in Christ. Your life on this earth as a believer matters, and you have a calling and purpose to live by faith in Jesus in everything you do.