These verses strip away all human pride and self-righteousness. Salvation is entirely a gift—by grace through faith. Nothing we do, no matter how noble or religious, can earn eternal life. Grace means God gives us what we do not deserve; faith means we trust in what Christ has already accomplished for us. The phrase "not of yourselves" eliminates all human contribution. Even our faith is a response to God's gracious initiative. We are saved by grace, through faith, and both are gifts from God.

In 1958, a violent young man named Nicky Cruz ruled the streets of Brooklyn as warlord of the Mau Mau gang. Born in Puerto Rico to parents who practiced witchcraft, he endured brutal physical and emotional abuse. His mother called him "son of Satan," and at age fifteen he fled to New York, where he became one of the city's most feared gang members. A court-ordered psychiatrist declared him "doomed, finished, on a one-way trip to jail, the electric chair, and hell." Then a skinny preacher named David Wilkerson walked into Cruz's neighborhood and told him something he had never heard: "Jesus loves you, Nicky." Cruz threatened to kill Wilkerson, but the preacher persisted: "You could cut me into a thousand pieces and every piece would still say, 'I love you.'" Weeks later, at a youth rally, Cruz felt the weight of his sins crushing him. He cried out to God and surrendered his life to Christ. The transformation was instant and total. Cruz walked away from gang violence, turned in his weapons to police, and enrolled in Bible college. For over fifty years he has traveled the world preaching the gospel that saved him. His testimony proves that no one is beyond grace—not the gang leader, not the murderer, not the worst sinner imaginable. Salvation is not by works, lest anyone should boast. It is by grace alone.

Prayer: Gracious God, we confess that all our righteous deeds are as filthy rags before You. We cannot earn salvation through good works or religious performance. We receive Your free gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Thank You for salvation we could never deserve. Amen.