The Grace of the Gospel

September 7, 2025
Scripture: Ephesians 2:8–10

Introduction
Is Christianity the only way?
Without the cross of Christ, the problem of sin cannot be solved.
We are sinners. We may appear to be good to other people, but before God we all stand as sinners.
God is righteous, therefore He must judge sinners.
However, God is also love, and He does not desire to condemn. Instead, by judging Christ in our place, He forgives those who believe in Christ. This is the Gospel.

I. God’s Way
The Holy Spirit seeks to teach us that we are sinners.
He shows us that even when we try to do what is right, we cannot, because of the nature of sin within us.
This work of conviction begins before we are saved and continues until we are called to heaven.
Because we are sinners, we need God—and thus we are led to believe in Christ.

II. Human Response
When God reveals sin within us, it is up to us to respond with humility. That response is a human decision.
Some people respond with openness, others with hardness of heart. → Yet, nothing is impossible with God.
The Bible describes openness as becoming “like little children.” (Matthew 18:3–4)
“Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Adults often seek self-control, independence, and the desire to solve everything by themselves.

Yet through love and marriage, we realize that we cannot truly love those we are supposed to love. The success of marriage depends on whether there is love. No one dislikes being loved.
Adults are good at making excuses; children are poor at making excuses. → Therefore, children are humble.
James 4:6–7: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

III. The Right Response to Sin and the Christian Life
The Holy Spirit teaches us that we have a sinful nature, and when we sin, He shows us that it comes from this sinful nature. Therefore, the Christian life is about transformation from the nature of sin into the nature of God.
Repentance → “Metanoia, a turning around.” It is an intentional decision involving the heart and emotions.
The most important decision in life is to become a Christian.
If you are heading in the wrong direction → repentance means choosing to change the direction of your life.
In daily life, when you realize something is sin, you must choose to turn around.
Romans 12:2(ESV)
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The key command here is “be transformed.” It is in the present tense, passive voice, and imperative form.
In other words, it is a command to “let yourself be transformed.”
This means: acknowledge your sin, rely on the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to change your inner being.

The Essence of Sin
Sin is not only moral evil, hurting others, failing to love, failing to do justice, or troubling society.
These are the fruits of sin, the branches that grow from the trunk.
The essence of sin is hostility toward God and self-centeredness—living without worshiping God, living only for oneself.
Through each specific sin, we realize that we are standing in opposition to God, and we need to truly desire repentance from the heart.

Ephesians 2:10
“ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Good works mean walking in the path that God has already prepared for us.
The two greatest commandments of Scripture are:
To love God
To love your neighbor
This neighborly love is illustrated in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10). The Samaritan saw the wounded Jewish man, felt compassion, and helped him.
The church is often strong in evangelism. However, we are sometimes weak in loving our neighbors apart from evangelism. We should not love only because someone is an object of mission or evangelism, but because God commands us to love.
I have long emphasized the importance of this balance. Christians should not only evangelize but also help those who are suffering. When these two wheels—evangelism and neighborly love—move forward together in balance, they become true good works.

Heavenly Father,
we thank You for the blessing of learning together today about the grace of the Gospel.
We confess that we are all sinners, unable to attain salvation by our own strength. Yet in Your love, You gave Your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross, and through His sacrifice You have forgiven us. We are deeply grateful for this great Gospel.
Lord, help us to respond humbly to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Give us childlike hearts, free from pride, ready to obey You. Teach us to repent daily, and by the renewal of our minds, allow us to be transformed by Your Spirit.
We pray that we may not only speak of our faith, but also walk in the good works You have prepared for us. Teach us to love You and to love our neighbors, showing compassion to those in need. May evangelism and neighborly love move forward together in balance, so that Your glory may be revealed through our lives.
We commit all things into Your hands, and we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen.