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8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NRSV)
Dear Friend, as we pray today, please pray for the family of Mrs. Bekie Blanco Abrio, a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, daughter of a Methodist pastor and mother and sister to many other Methodist pastors. She died unexpectedly on Tuesday. The Rev. Bequi Flores is her daughter and Bequi is the pastor of Karnes City and a Presiding Elder as well. Prayers of comfort for the Abrio and Blanco famililes. Bekie's husband died not too many years ago. Also, prayers for this old man as I preach on February 8, 2026 at the Pilgrim Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. Pray the Lord give me a word or two to share with this faithful community.
I knew of a young lady at a Methodist university working towards her undergraduate degree in hopes of becoming a nun in the Catholic Church. She was an active high school student in her local Catholic church and sent often after school to help clean the church and prepare the church for worship. One afternoon while at the church her priest grabbed her and kissed her. She immediately placed the blame on herself and all the weight of that "sin." She believed deeply that the only way God could forgive her was for her to become a nun and serve God the rest of her life in that way. Works is that belief that says one must prove oneself worthy by outward deeds and actions that show God and others of their genuine desire to serve God in that way. Upon death it is believed they will be found worthy and allowed into Heaven.
My heart breaks for that young woman. She carried a burden that was never hers to carry. She believed a lie that has imprisoned countless souls throughout history: that we must earn God's forgiveness, that we must prove ourselves worthy, that our salvation depends on our performance.
But here's the liberating truth that sits at the very foundation of Methodist theology and all of Christian faith: Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
You cannot earn it. You cannot buy it. You cannot work for it. You cannot deserve it.
It is a gift.
Grace is God's unmerited favor—love and forgiveness freely given to those who don't deserve it and could never earn it. It's God reaching down to us when we could never reach up to Him. It's God saying, "I love you, not because of what you've done, but because of who I am."
That young woman believed she had to become a nun to pay for a sin that wasn't even hers. She thought years of service, sacrifice, and dedication would somehow balance the scales and make her acceptable to God. But grace doesn't work that way.
Grace says: You are already accepted. You are already loved. You are already forgiven—if you will simply receive it.
When we try to earn our salvation through works, several destructive things happen:
We never know if we've done enough. How many good deeds balance out one sin? How many years of service erase one mistake? The answer is: it's impossible. We can never do enough, be enough, or give enough to earn Heaven. We carry unbearable burdens. Like that young woman carrying guilt and shame for something done to her, we pile weights on our shoulders that were never meant to be carried. We exhaust ourselves trying to prove our worth. We miss the point entirely. Salvation isn't about our strength—it's about God's grace. It's not about our goodness—it's about Christ's righteousness. It's not about our performance—it's about God's love. We rob God of glory. If we could earn our salvation, we could boast about it. We could take credit. But Paul says clearly: salvation is "not the result of works, so that no one may boast." God alone gets the glory for our salvation because God alone accomplished it. Here's what we must understand: Jesus already did the work. On the cross, He paid the price for every sin—past, present, and future. He took the punishment we deserved. He bridged the gap between holy God and sinful humanity. He opened the way to Heaven.
And then He rose from the dead, proving that His sacrifice was sufficient, that sin and death were defeated, that salvation was complete.
When Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross, He meant it. The work of salvation was done. Completely. Fully. Forever.
We don't add to it. We can't add to it. We simply receive it by faith.
Now, let me be clear about something important: the Methodist understanding of salvation by grace does not eliminate the importance of good works. John Wesley was emphatic about this. But here's the critical distinction:
We are saved by grace through faith, not by works But we are saved for good works, as expressions of our gratitude and love Works don't earn our salvation; they are the fruit of our salvation We don't serve God to become His children; we serve God because we are His children It's like this: a tree doesn't produce fruit to become a tree—it produces fruit because it is a tree. In the same way, we don't do good works to become saved—we do good works because we are saved, because grace has transformed us, because love compels us to serve.
When that young woman finally understood grace—that she didn't have to earn God's forgiveness, that she was already loved, already accepted, already forgiven through Christ—it set her free. Not free to sin, but free to serve God out of love rather than fear, out of gratitude rather than guilt, out of joy rather than obligation.
That's what grace does. It liberates us from the impossible burden of trying to be good enough for God. It frees us to rest in what Christ has already done. And from that place of rest and security, we joyfully serve, not to earn salvation, but because we've already received it.
Your Invitation Today
Maybe you've been trying to earn God's love. Maybe you're exhausted from trying to be good enough. Maybe you're carrying guilt and shame, believing you have to somehow pay for your sins through years of service or sacrifice.
Hear this good news today: You can't earn it, and you don't have to.
Jesus already paid it all. The gift of salvation is yours—not because you deserve it, but because God loves you. Not because you've worked for it, but because Christ died for you. Not because you're perfect, but because His grace is sufficient.
All you have to do is receive it. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again. Trust in Him, not in yourself. Accept the gift that's freely offered.
And then—from that place of grace, from that foundation of unconditional love—live a life of grateful service. Not to earn God's favor (you already have it), but to express your love for the One who first loved you.
PRAYER: Gracious Father, thank You for the gift of salvation that we could never earn and don't deserve. Forgive us for the times we've tried to prove our worth through works, for the burdens we've carried that were never ours to bear. Help us to rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Let us receive Your grace with humble gratitude, and let that grace transform us from the inside out. May ous service flow from love, not from fear; from gratitude, not from guilt; from the security of being Your beloved children, not from trying to earn Your approval. Thank You that salvation is Your gift, freely given, completely sufficient, eternally secure. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: If you've been trying to earn God's love through your efforts, stop striving and start resting. This week, write down this simple truth where you'll see it daily: "I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone." Let it sink deep into your heart and set you free.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me. Be a blessing to everyone!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
