Don’t Complicate Grace!

Some time ago I read about an instant cake mix that was a big flop. The instructions said that all you had to do was add water and bake and you had your cake. The company couldn’t understand why it didn’t sell. Their research discovered that the buying public felt uneasy about a mix that required only water. Apparently people thought it was too easy. So the company altered the formula and changed the directions to call for adding an egg to the mix in addition to the water. The idea worked and sales jumped dramatically.

That story reminds me of how some react to the plan of salvation. It sounds too easy and simple to be true, even though the Bible says, “By grace you have been saved through faith...; it is the gift of God, not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Some feel that there is something more they must do, something they must add to God’s “recipe” for salvation. They think they must perform good works to gain God’s favor and earn eternal life. However, the Bible is clear; we are saved, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy” (Titus 3:5).

Unlike the cake-mix manufacturer, God has not changed His “formula” to make salvation more marketable. The gospel we proclaim must be free of works, even though it may sound too easy. God didn’t complicate grace and we’d do well to follow His example!

Pray with Me:

Thank you God for your simple plan of grace that is not dependent upon my works. Help me share the simple message with all of those with whom I come into contact today. Amen.