Welcome to Unshakable , a daily Christian devotional podcast . I'm Reverend Ben Cooper and each day we open up God's Word to strengthen our faith , encourage our hearts and to help us to stand firm on the gospel of truth no matter what life throws our way . This is a listener supported podcast and we cannot do this without you . If this ministry blesses you , please consider supporting us with three pound a month on . Buy me a coffee . Your support helps us reach more people with the gospel across the world . Just visit rbchristianradionet . Every gift makes a difference .
Speaker 1Let's dive straight into today's devotional and discover the power of God's unshakable truth . We're going to turn to the beautiful book . We're going to go to the book of Ephesians , chapter 2 , and we're going to go to verse 8 and 9 , and the title at this hour is freedom in God's grace . I love that . Freedom in God's grace , the book of Ephesians , chapter 2 , verses 8 through to 9 . Wherever you are across this world , may the Holy Spirit lead you . Thank you for joining us for this 15 minute daily devotional podcast as we just dive into the scripture , a little bit of prayer and just unraveling the word of god through revelational knowledge . We are in ephesians , chapter 2 , verse 8 , for it is by grace you have been saved , through faith , and this is not of yourself . It is the gift of God , not by works so that no one can boast wow , thank you , jesus . You know what a beautiful bit of text that is . For wherever we are today , wherever we're on a commute , wherever at home , whatever the hour is , wherever we are across this amazing world that God has created through the power of his voice , I want to encourage you now . It is not by grace we have been saved , it is . It is for . It is by grace we have been saved . You know , when you think of that scripture there by grace we have been saved , by the power of his grace is grace , it will always be grace . You know when you think about what grace is . Grace is so powerful , grace is so beautiful . Grace is it ? How do we define that word grace ? It's so difficult to define it in the english language , but when you look at grace , it means to have divine favor . You have divine favor . It is by grace you have been saved . You are a born again , spirit filled believer in Christ Jesus . It is grace , it is by grace , it is
because of grace , it is because the God of Israel , it is of the Father . The Son , the Holy Spirit , decided to save you and to save me . And when you go a little bit further , let's just pick it up again at the beginning , in verse 8 of Ephesians , chapter 2 , for it is by grace we have been saved through faith .
Speaker 1This is not from yourself . This is lovely , isn't it ? It's nothing to do with self . It's nothing to do with financial stretch . It's nothing to do with academic understanding . It's got nothing to do with skill set . It is by his grace . This is not from yourself . It's got nothing to do with a church . Let's just pause a moment and think about that . That this grace has nothing to do with the bricks and the mortar and the fabric and the mechanisms and the cogs of religion and church and ministry . This is from the divine favor . This is divine . This is from the eternal God . This is from our triune . God said this is from the God of Israel . This is from the God of Israel . This is from the father of Isaac , jacob and Abraham .
Speaker 1Verse 8 of Ephesians , chapter 2 . So it's through faith . Now , lord , I'm weak in my faith . Well , ben , it doesn't defer , it doesn't change the fact that you're saved . Well , lord , my faith is down today , ben . It doesn't change the fact that I saved you , lord .
Speaker 1I'm not that faithful today , lord , I'm a bit scared . Today , actually , lord , fear seems to be larger than faith . It's okay , ben , because you've got divine favor . But , lord , my faith , dear God , will you help me ? We need to be careful about this , because if it was all relying on the amount of faith that we had , I wouldn't receive it at all . Because can I let you into a little secret ?
Speaker 1Some days I feel really faithless . Some situations scare me , you know , even in the position and to do what I do and everything that goes along with that . Some days I say , lord , I do , and everything that goes along with that . Some days I say , lord , I just feel empty . Today , lord , I don't feel very faithful , lord , I don't feel that I've got any faith left because of everything is coming down the track of life and it is too much for me . So , lord , will you help me ?
Speaker 1Jesus , spirit of the living God , you know wherever you are right now . In the name of Jesus , I want to encourage you . Whatever life looks like , whatever you're facing , whatever is going on in your life , I want to let you know it is by grace . You have been saved , through faith . This is not from yourself , it is from the gift of God , not by work so that no one can boast . I love the fact that it's not by the amount of times I hoover the church . It's not by the amount of times I hoover the church . It's not by the amount of times I come into the church . It's not by the amount of times and the time that I spend in here working . It is by his grace .
Speaker 1Come on , this is time to pray . Father , in the name of Jesus , we thank you that it is not by works , lord . It is irrelevant of me clocking up when I come into the house . Lord , it is divine favor over each and every one of us and it is by grace we have been saved . Lord , we thank you for the grace of god , the grace that we are .
Speaker 1We find it difficult to articulate , the grace that we find it difficult to work about , to speak about , but it is by divine favor , it is by pure love , it is by your grace , your mercy and Lord . I thank you that we are saved by your grace . We're washed in the blood of Jesus , washed in the crimson tide . You are a good , you are a powerful , you are an awesome God and we stand , dear God , at the brink of a new day . Maybe it's midday , maybe it's the end of the day , the middle of the day .
Speaker 1Father , wherever we are , we come to you right now and we say , lord , let the fire of God descend on us , let the fire of God just move around us . Lord , will you capture us today ? Will you wrap yourself around us today ? Because we realize that it is by grace . It's not by how many times I hoover the church , how many times I clean the loo out , lord , it doesn't matter what
jobs I do , it is irrelevant , because it is divine favor . Father , I thank you for divine favor . I thank you , lord , for your divinity . I thank you for your glory , your mercy , your love , your saving grace over each and every one of us , that your mercy , your goodness , is over us today and wherever we are , lord , we pray right now for the fire of god to descend and your fire , lord , will burn out everything that is doubting , everything that is weak , everything .
Speaker 1Father , god that is late , taking us to a place of unfamiliar territory because , lord , we want to realize . We need to know , strong and assured like a bold lion . We need to know strong and assured like a bold lion , we need to know that it is by grace we've been saved , through faith . This is not from ourselves , father . I thank you that it's not from me Because , lord , if it was from me , I would never get salvation . I thank you that salvation sits in the hands of the beholder . Salvation belongs to the God of Israel . Salvation comes from above . As Jesus told Nicodemus , you must be born again . And Nicodemus said I can't go back that way . It's impossible for a human being to go back in thy mother's womb . How can I be born again ? Jesus , you're born from above . It's in the hands of the God of Israel , it's in the hands of the triune Godhead .
Speaker 1So , father , through this prayer time , will you strengthen us , will you lead us through this devotion , will you carry us , lord , wherever we are across the world . Father , let us realize it is divine favor . It is power beyond power . It is power beyond power . It is hope beyond hope . It is faith beyond faith . And right now , lord , as we pray , as we walk , as we stand as brothers and sisters , today , it is nothing to do with works . I thank you , lord . It's got nothing to do with works because , lord , that will be so wrong . It's divine , it's beautiful .
Speaker 1God , we are blessed and through this prayer time , lord , we thank you . That fear bows , that fear bows today , and grace rises . Grace rises , your glory comes , your mercy strengthens us . Your goodness , your favor , your love , everything , lord , pour out everything over us today . Lord , let us feel that divinity , let us feel that power , let us feel that authority , let us feel that love like never before . Let us feel the glory , the glory of Christ , the glory of Jesus , the glory of the Holy Spirit . It is by grace .
Speaker 1So , lord , through these prayers , through these moments , lord , we thank you . That is divine and that divinity and that power and that authority breaks the yoke , that breaks the work of the devil . And right now , lord , I thank you that your grace says yes . Your grace says don't worry . Your grace says never give up . Your grace says keep walking . Your grace says all things are possible . Your grace is over us today , wherever we are across this world . So , lord , as we pray , as we be still , as we just ponder , as we meditate on the word of truth Today , lord , we realize that it is by grace we have been saved . So , holy Spirit , will you feed us today , holy Spirit , will you lead us today , will you take us in paths of righteousness for thy namesake ? But at this hour , as we close this prayer time , lord , I ask you , through this daily devotional podcast , that we will realize the power of grace . In the name of the father , the son , the holy spirit , amen .
Speaker 1Let me just read that scripture again . I pray that this reading today will help you in your life , wherever you are , and as you walk , you realize you're walking in favor . You're not walking in your skill set . You're not walking in your achievements . You're not walking in academic capabilities , you're not walking in the money that you own . You're not walking in the strength that you feel , but you're walking in faith that you realize that everything that I've just said is of this natural world and it has no eternal value . So I pray right now as I read this scripture .
Speaker 1So we've been in the book of ephesians , chapter 2 , verse 8 , through to 9 , for it is by grace . You have been saved , through faith . This is not from yourself . It is a gift of God , not by works so that no one can boast . You know what I feel free , I feel blessed to know that it is not about my strength .
Speaker 1How many times I hoover the church , how many times I podcast , how many times I sweep the church car park , it doesn't matter how many times I wash the windows , it doesn't matter how many times I preach the gospel of Jesus Christ , it is irrelevant Works , is irrelevant to salvation , and I love that we serve a God , that he doesn't look at us and measure us as self-work and self-wealth by what we do . The Bible says all are sinners and fallen short of thy glory . It is by grace . You are a child of the living God and you are born again .
Speaker 1So take a moment to rest . Why don't you pedal back a moment ? Stop pressing the boards of life , come off the treadmill of craziness , come off the treadmill of life for a moment and just pause and say I am saved Above everything else . Stop striving , stop pushing so hard . Just take a moment , just to step aside and say to yourself I'm saved . It's not by the work that I've done , it's not by my skill set , it's not about my autonomy , my strength . It's not about my muscular strength , it's not about how powerful I am as a human being . It is about how powerful my God is , and you know what that divine grace . That grace is so strong and so powerful . If you can imagine if grace had a face . Yes , I can understand what we might be thinking . It's Jesus . But if grace had a face , it would look at sin and sin would run . At the name of Jesus , every knee shall bow on the earth , under the earth , through the earth , every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord .
Speaker 1We thank you for joining us today on this beautiful time . As we've gathered around the word , the title has been Freedom in God's Grace . The biblical scriptures was Ephesians , chapter 2 , verses 8 through to 9 . Wherever you are across the world , never give up and remind yourself you are blessed and highly favoured
. Thank you for joining us today on Unshakeable , a daily Christian devotional podcast . If today's devotion has encouraged you , please consider sharing this with your family , your friends , your church congregation , your pastors , your leaders . Thank you so much from the very bottom of our heart . This is a listener-supported ministry and we cannot do this without you . This daily broadcast has been brought to you by myself , reverend Ben Cooper . If you can support us just £3 a month on , buy Me A Coffee . Visit rbchristianradionet to find out more . I'm Reverend Ben Cooper . Stay strong , stay rooted in the word of truth , and I'll see you tomorrow for another unshakable word from Scripture . Thank you ,