Sinners Saved By Grace

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV)

I often hear it said that people who claim to be believers in Jesus Christ, that they are presently “Sinners saved by grace.” But is that biblically correct? No, it isn’t. Why? Because “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were sinners” (past tense), “Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And, for “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13), indicating a difference between the righteous and sinners. They are not one and the same. For a sinner is one who sins, in practice, like a runner runs.

But does that mean that a believer in Jesus will never sin again? No, it doesn’t (1 John 2:1-2), which we have evidence of in the New Testament Scriptures. So this is not saying that we will never sin again, but it does teach us in the Scriptures that the genuinely saved, by the grace of God, are those for whom sin is no longer their practice, but now righteousness and holy living, by the grace of God, and obedience to our Lord’s commands, in the power of God, should be the practice of the one who believes in Christ.

Example: I used to cut people’s hair a long time ago, but I no longer cut hair. So, I will not claim to be a haircutter today, for I no longer cut hair. 

So, then, what is the issue with saying we are “sinners saved by grace”? It opens the door wide to the idea that we can be saved from our sins, and assured heaven as our eternal destiny, but while we continue sinning against  God by habit. And that is typically how the phrase is being used and taught, that we can be saved and on our way to heaven while we remain active sinners. For they teach a false grace which does not teach that Jesus died to free us from our slavery to sin so we will now obey our God’s commands.

So, if we are all called “sinners,” whether or not we believe in Jesus, then what is to differentiate us who believe in Jesus from those who do not? It isn’t that we have been “saved by grace.” Why? Because when Jesus saves us, he is saving (delivering) us out of our addiction (slavery) to sin so that we can now serve him in walks of obedience to his commands. And the Scriptures make it clear that if we claim to be in fellowship with God while we walk in darkness (in sin, in practice) we do not live by the truth.

But it is absolutely truth that we are only saved from slavery to sin and assured heaven as our eternal destiny by the grace of God through God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ. But this faith is not a feeling or lip service only, but it is to be persuaded of God as to our sinfulness, and of his holiness and righteousness, and of God’s requirement that we now die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands, by his grace, in his power. For it means to be persuaded of God’s will, and if persuaded, then we yield to God’s control.

So, yes, there is not anything that we can do in our own flesh, by our own fleshly works, to be approved by God, to be saved from our sins, and to have eternal life with God. And this includes making verbal professions of faith in Jesus Christ, with no death to sin, and no obedience to God, thinking that all our sins are forgiven and now heaven is a sure thing. For that is not of God! That thinking is of human flesh! For Jesus put our sins to death with him so we will die to sin and obey him and his commands, in his power.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Acts 26:18] 

For By Grace  

Based off Ephesians 2:8-10

An Original Work / January 27, 2012

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

For by grace we’ve been saved

Of all our sins,

So that with Christ Jesus

Our lives begin.

Cleansing us from sin,

He made pure within

All who trust in Him

As their Savior, friend,

So that with Christ Jesus

Our lives begin.

We’ve been saved through faith;

This not from ourselves,

Lest that we should boast

In our fleshly works.

Our salvation is 

A gift from our God,

Who loves us so much 

That He gave His Son

To die on the cross

For all of our sins.

So repent of all

Of your sins today,

And He’ll forgive you;

Wipe your sins away.

Obey all of His 

Teachings given you,

So that you can walk

With Him now in truth;

So that you can walk

With Him now in truth.

https://vimeo.com/125737956

Sinners Saved By Grace

An Original Work / February 8, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love