There is one element that uniquely exists within the Christian faith.

Grace.

Grace is the one element that no other religion teaches or claims to have. Grace is the central element of the gospel of Jesus Christ. A gospel of human efforts, works, or rituals is no gospel at all. It is as far from the plan of salvation by God that one can go. The Gospel of Christ is the power of his atoning sacrifice given freely by grace and received freely by faith.

I want to encourage you with three astonishing ways in which Salvation by grace transforms our lives.

One - Through Jesus Christ we are Justified by Grace. This is just like a legal courtroom decision. Your sin debt was brought before God's eternal courtroom and you were left to pay the penalty. But, Christ stepped in and paid the debt for you legally setting you free from the punishment you deserved. By grace you have been justified from the debt you owed and given freedom from the penalty! (Romans 5:1-2; Titus 3:4-7)

Two - Through Jesus Christ we are Redeemed by Grace. Like a transaction, you have been bought at a price. You once were bound under the mastery of sin but Christ arrived at the sin-market and bought you out of slavery to sin into freedom in Christ. Through his atoning sacrifice on the cross Jesus paid the price for your freedom. By grace you have been bought back from death to life in Christ Jesus! (Ephesians 1:7-8; Colossians 1:13-14)

Three - Through Jesus Christ we have been made Righteous by Grace. The filthy rags and garb of your old life wrought with sin was an abhorrent sight to the Holiness of God. But now your filthy rags have been replaced by the royal robes of Jesus Christ. God no longer sees your sinful appearance for it has been replaced by the appearance and glory of Christ himself in you. By grace you have a righteousness apart from yourself, it is the gift of God! (Romans 3:21-26)

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming  ages  he  might  show  the  incomparable  riches  of  his  grace,  expressed  in  his  kindness  to  us in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:7-8

It's only when we understand the lofty, perfect, and unreachable Holiness of God in contrast to our wretched, impure, and lowly position of sinfulness will we began to fathom the astonishing beauty of God's grace. You and I have the glorious privilege to receive the grace of God!

May we daily stand in, speak of, and live by that very grace that gives us the hope of salvation!

- Josh