p. 727 | Grace, Not Merit

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 4, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 46.

Grace, Not Merit

WHY should it be so hard a lesson for some of us to learn that we have no claim upon God, whether for life or salvation? All that we have has been given us, and even if we were sinless all that we could do for God would never exceed our debt, so that in any case we are servants from whom God receives no profit. It is pure, unmerited grace which has made us what we are; and those who have done most and who have borne most for God, are always the readiest to admit that only pure, unmerited grace gives them any claim to the reward which God promises to give, freely, to those who trust themselves to his grace here. We merit nothing, we earn nothing, we receive all; yet some of us, so far from being even decently thankful, seem to think that the Lord is largely in our debt, for the trivial work which we have been enabled to do for him.—Sel.