The Heart of Our Faith

We don't have to earn God's favor. Instead, He gives it as a gift—through the work of Jesus on the cross.

Galatians 2:15-16

Paul believed nothing merited his boasting more than the cross (Galatians 6:14). He had good reason to think this: Upon two beams of rough-hewn wood, salvation was made available to all people.

It is through Jesus’ sacrificial death that we are reconciled to the Father and freed from the penalty of sin. Galatians 2:16 says, “By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” That is, right living cannot earn God’s acceptance. Even so, many people choose to put confidence in some sort of cosmic “scale”—they believe their good deeds will outweigh their bad deeds, and as a result, the gate of heaven will be opened to them. However, if this were true, Jesus’ death would be senseless.

The problem is pride. Since it’s natural to desire acceptance, people want to believe something within them is worth loving. But the cross requires kneeling empty-handed before God—knowing nothing we do could ever be good enough—and accepting His overwhelming grace.

While it’s true that we have nothing to offer God to secure salvation, the fact is that He expects nothing. Instead, the heavenly Father did everything necessary to cleanse away the stain of our sin and reconcile us to Him. The cross is a symbol of His divine love—a love that deserves our greatest thanks and praise.