6/7/25 God’s Love Is Not Earned

Takeaway: We cannot earn God’s favor through works.

Opening Prayer (Saturday)

Father, thank You for the gift of rest. As I slow down today, help me to find peace in You. Restore my soul, deepen my faith, and renew my joy in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection

We live in a world where value is almost always tied to performance. From an early age, we are taught to earn approval, either through good grades, achievements, appearances, or productivity. Even in relationships, love is often conditional. In almost every facet of life, we’re praised when we succeed and overlooked when we falter. So it’s no surprise that this mindset seeps into our spiritual lives. We begin to believe the illusion that God’s love must also be earned. His favor is a reward for good behavior, or spiritual effort. But the gospel disrupts that illusion when it declares that we are saved by grace, not by works.

Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:8–9 are both a comfort and a confrontation. They remind us that salvation is not a transaction but a gift. A gift we could never deserve, achieve, or repay. God does not love us more on our best days or less on our worst. His love is anchored not in our efforts, but in His unchanging character. This means we cannot impress God into loving us, nor can we fail so badly that He walks away. His grace is not a paycheck for the righteous; it is a lifeline for the lost, broken, and forgotten.

The illusion of performance is not just exhausting, it’s never ending. It keeps us trapped in a cycle of striving, failing, guilt, and fear. It pushes us to hide our flaws, and measure our worth by our output. But grace tells a better story. Grace sets us free to live not for approval but from approval. As disciples, we walk not to earn God’s love, but because we already have it. Good works flow not from pressure, but from gratitude and joy.

Let that truth sink in: God loved you at your worst, pursued you when you were lost, and saved you when you were sinking. And, not because of what you could do for Him, but because of what Christ did for you. The cross is the final word on your worth. The path of discipleship is not a climb up, rather it’s a journey of walking with the One who stooped down in mercy to lift us all up.

Questions

Where in your life are you still trying to earn God’s love or prove your worth?

What would change if you truly believed His love for you is secure, undeserved, and unwavering?

Application

Begin by examining your spiritual habits. Do not just looks at what you do, but ask why you do them. Are you reading Scripture, praying, serving, or attending church to feel more accepted by God? Or are you doing these things as a response to His love, already secured in Christ? Motivation matters.

Closing Prayer

Gracious God, thank You for loving me freely and fully, not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are. Forgive me for trying to perform my way into Your favor. Teach me to rest in Your grace, to live from Your love, and to walk in the freedom of knowing I am already accepted in Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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