Free Grace or Enduring Work?

"By your endurance you will gain your lives." Lk 21:19

"But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Lk 21:36-37

I often find myself drifting between the free grace that we have in Christ and the hard work Christ calls us to as his disciples. Well, which is it? In reality its both! I could list dozens verses explicitly stating the freeness of the gospel, but I will highlight only one "Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.'" Jn 6:29. And there are dozens of verses that show us the effort and endurance required of us as believers. Lk 21:19 is a prime example.

So what do we do with this? How do we proceed? First we need to reconcile, or at least accept, that both propositions are true. We are saved by grace through faith and this is not of ourselves, but its the gift of God. And the one who endures to the end will be saved. In a very real sense, true saving faith is only true if it gets us to the end. Maybe John Bunyan painted the best, extra Biblical picture in Pilgrim's Progress. Christian was saved early on, but it took effort and endurance to reach the Celestial City. May we work out our salvation today with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God who works in us to will and to work according to his good purpose.

To God Alone be the Glory.