Grace is often defined as “unmerited favor.” It means God is offering us something precious without cost. And that something is the most important thing we can possess on earth, salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains how we can secure salvation and the resulting heaven. It says, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest anyone should boast.” 

Salvation means rebirth. We become, as the Apostle Paul puts it, “new creations” in Christ Jesus as Lord. This means we then have the love of God and other people in our hearts. Until we were regenerated (saved), we let our old, selfish nature dictate how we lived. And that is what we are seeing wholesale today, because most people are not regenerated because of their unbelief. Their future is a grim one of everlasting punishment in hell and banishment from God.

When evil people trust their souls to Christ, they then see why John Newton wrote his famous and wonderful hymn, “Amazing Grace.” Newton was a slave trader who lived sinfully by his wits. He had no time for God, like most people today. In his song, he called himself a “wretch.” He was right. But Christ opened his eyes to the truth about himself and the world. In the song, he said, “Was blind but now I see.”

Newton was blind for the same reason most people were and still are blind to the truth: Satan. The devil has managed to deceive and blind most of the people on earth, both in the past and still today. He tricks those ignorant of God’s Word (the Bible) by blending his lies with some of the truth of Scripture. He can do this because most people no longer read or study the truth in Scripture. Satan plays on that ignorance to his advantage. 

Satan hates God and tries his best to destroy everything God has created, especially man, the pinnacle of creation. Satan even tried to kill the baby Jesus, as you may recall from the Christmas story. Fortunately, Christ came into the world as that baby and became a Man much like we are, with the exception that He never sinned. Jesus Christ of God destroyed much of what Satan tried to do, and He will return to earth to put an end to Satan and all his demons. They will be cast into the “Lake that burns with fire and brimstone” (Rev. 19:20). So will be the fate of all unbelievers.

We were all born in the same condition of evil selfishness. We all deserved the same fate due to what Paul called our “Old man.” But, praise God, what is so amazing is that Christ has washed away all sins of believers, past, present, and future sins. Another precious old hymn asks, “Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?” The Lamb, of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s own Son and part of the Trinity. This makes Him actually God.

Sadly, Jesus observed that few find the narrow way to heaven. Most people are traveling the broad road that leads to destruction. (Matthew 10:13). Interestingly, the way of life is so simple. All it takes is belief in Christ and calling on Him to save you. But the opportunity to be saved is limited to life on earth. And the scary thing is that no one knows when his life and opportunity to be saved will end. You don’t have to be old to die.