Let's Talk About Grace

"One of those basic principles is that we are saved by grace alone and not our own works."

I completely agree with you vektek, but in my humble opinion this statement still requires interpretation. What does it mean to be saved by grace and how is one saved by grace? Your answer would probably be that we have to ask for God's mercy to forgive our sins, or maybe you would say to accept Christ into your heart. But the question still remains, what does this mean? If you just say the words, "God, please forgive me for my sins in the name of Jesus Christ" are you then saved? Maybe you say yes to this question, maybe not (again here is where interpretation comes in, as many Christians have varying opinions, so the best thing to do is go to the source and ask God). I would say there is more to it than just asking for forgiveness and salvation. There is a requirement that we have to meet before we can receive forgiveness and grace, in the scriptures it is referred to as coming before God with a broken heart and contrite spirit. In other words, we not only say it with our mouths but feel it with our being that this world is suffering: I have suffered my whole life when I have relayed on myself or others instead of God. So when we get to this point, then we can ask for God's grace, but it still doesn't end right there. God grants us his grace with open arms and with no limits, but it is up to us to truly receive this loving grace into our hearts. There is a problem though that gets in the way of many people truly receiving God's grace and that is our attachment to this physical life and material things (including people and including what we think of as our selves, the identity that we cling to so dearly).

Here is what I would encourage every single person to do, no matter what your current faith or belief system is, this includes myself. Go into your quiet place of prayer and meditation and ask God to show you what is stopping you from receiving the full extent of his love and mercy, fully believing that the answer will manifest in your life. Look for things that you are attached to that are getting in the way of God sending you his perfect message of truth and love. You truly need to be born again to be saved. That means you really need to die in your heart. Everything that I cling to so dearly needs to die, that includes my selfish love for my family and mate (that many of us confuse for true love), all the things that I think make me myself (my appearance, my general mood, my friends, the things I do or have done, my guilt, my fear, my addictions, so many of these, everything needs to die). And all this can be accomplished through no action of your own other than prayer and a desire and a willingness to accept the truth and be made whole again. Once we have received the love of God into our hearts, great works will manifest through little effort of our own. But the works are the result of having received the love of God into our hearts.

This is my prayer: God how am I closed to your love? What am I holding onto that is stopping me from receiving all of your love and truth? Please show me how I am closed so that I can open myself up to you more fully. I know that you will manifest this answer in my life in a way that is unmistakable that it came from you. Thank you for your grace and your love that you give freely with no hesitation. You are the light of the world and the salvation of humanity.

vektek, this is my interpretation of what your sentence means. I realize that yours could be very different.