Saved by Grace Through Faith

Smoking

The increase in knowledge of the harmful effects of smoking on the human body paired with the painful experience of the harmful effects of smoking on loved ones isn’t enough to get people to quit smoking. 

It takes more than knowledge and experience to change someone’s mind on smoking. The same is true with evangelism. 

It’s not enough to tell someone all the right things about God. It’s not enough to tell someone about what God has done in the world. Not to say those things aren’t good, or aren’t effective tools for evangelism. Just that it’s not enough on its own. 

It’s true that our testimonies and apologetics are an important part of our faith. The Bible even tells us this is 1 Peter 3,

1 Peter 3:15 CSB

but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

But that alone is not enough to win someone over to Christ. That alone is not enough to get someone to surrender their entire heart and soul to the Lordship of Christ Jesus.

You can have the perfect argument or defense for your faith. 

You can have all the right answers to the questions people have regarding your faith. 

You can even give a perfect account of everything God has done in your life.

It’ll never be enough. 

It requires something more.

That something is Grace

You see in his letter to the Church in Ephesus Paul tells us that it’s not by our works that we are saved but by the Grace of God we are saved,

Ephesians 2:8–9 CSB

For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.

This verse tells us a couple of things

It is by the grace of God that we are saved

It is though our faith that we have received Gods grace (