When people ask me what it means to be “saved by grace through faith,” I often sense a deeper longing beneath the words. It is not only a theological question, but a very personal one. We want to know whether God truly loves us as we are, and whether salvation depends on our efforts or on something greater than ourselves. This question touches the heart of the Christian life.
In simple terms, being saved by grace means that salvation is a gift from God. The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Grace is God’s unearned love—His free decision to rescue us from sin and draw us into new life through Jesus Christ. We cannot earn this gift by good deeds alone; it is offered first by God’s mercy.
Faith, then, is how we receive this gift. Faith is not merely agreeing with certain ideas about God, but trusting our lives to Him. When we believe in Christ—His death, His resurrection, and His living presence—we open our hearts to what God is already offering. Faith is the hand that reaches out to accept grace, knowing that we cannot save ourselves.
What this means for daily life is both humbling and freeing. We are called to live good and holy lives, not to earn salvation, but because we have already been loved and saved. Our works become a response of gratitude, not a payment. When we stumble, we return again to grace, trusting that God’s mercy is greater than our weakness.
May this truth bring you peace: you are not saved because you are perfect, but because God is faithful. And as you grow in faith, may you rest in the quiet joy of knowing that salvation begins and ends in His loving grace.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
