ESOCS Devotional 8 February 2026 – The Gift of Salvation
MEMORY VERSE: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV
TEXT: EPHESIANS 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional Here
Our salvation is by God’s grace. In other words, it is undeserved. Our God is both holy and good! His goodness is unmerited, undeserved. Grace is when God shows His goodness or love to those who don’t deserve it because of their rebellion, and who stand under God’s judgment. The salvation God offers is a gift to sinful rebels who stand under His just judgment. That includes you, and it includes me. There is not one who is born good, not one.
The gift of salvation is given freely to anyone who wants to receive it. No one can take any credit whatsoever for his salvation. No one will make it to heaven because he has done well enough. No one will get there because of someone else’s faith, because he acted like a Christian, or grew up in a godly home. God gives the gift of salvation freely to anyone who wants it.
Salvation is the gift of God, that we may live a life worthy of the calling to which He has called us. It is the gift of God. The purpose is to enable us fulfill all the works He has prepared for us to do before the foundation of the world. Our own works do not save us; we are saved by the grace of God. Our works are our appropriate response to the salvation we have received in Christ. So, let us glorify God and walk in them.
Knowing that we can’t work our way into heaven takes a lot of pressure off. We don’t have to push ourselves to exhaustion working until we drop or pretend we’re perfect, knowing we’re not. Instead, we can just be still and know that God is in control, listen for His instructions, and follow His will. Rest assured that God has given us the free gift of grace simply because we have faith in His Son.
We will never be able to live up to the selfless example Jesus set for us on the cross. But we can show God’s love and grace to an unsaved world through our faith in Jesus and our love of doing good works in His name. So, when we get caught up in the busy day-to-day work of the church, let’s remember where our salvation truly comes from and give credit to the Savior of our souls!
Reflections
- Do you boast or glory in your ability to do God’s work?
Prayer
- Lord Jesus our Savior, help us never to forget your sacrifice on the Cross for us.
Further Reading: Leviticus 23:23-End; Song of Sol 2:8-End; Luke 6:1-12
ESOCS Devotional 8 February 2026
