The Bible teaches that all believers are “saints.” Numerous times, in the New Testament especially, all believers are referred to as “saints.” The basis of that title is not some miraculous deeds I’ve performed in my life but on one simple truth. I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and has purchased for me a place in His kingdom that he offers as a free gift that I can receive by grace through faith. It’s all of grace. It cannot be earned or deserved because that work has been done for us. As any free gift, it can only be received. Faith is the channel through which we accept it. Actually, the word “grace” means free gift and is translated accordingly several times. In John 4:10, he tells us that “Jesus said, ‘If you only knew the free gift of God and who it is that is asking you for water, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’” Paul records this truth several times in Romans. The most famous of those verses is 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Peter calls it a free gift in Acts 10:20. John begins to close the final book of the Bible, Revelation, with 22:17. He says, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who hears this say, ‘Come!’ Let whoever is thirsty come; whoever wishes may have the water of life as a free gift.”

The author of Hebrews closes his book with the shortest verse, sentence in the book. Hebrews 13:25 says, “Grace be with all of you.” According to the handbook for translators, “May God’s grace be with you all may be rendered as ‘May God be good to you all.’ Or, as in the form of a prayer, ‘I pray that God may be good to you all,’ or ‘… show you his loving kindness,’ or ‘… demonstrate to you his love and kindness.’”[1] Saving faith involves believing in three things about God. It’s not just believing that God exists. Satan does that and he’s not saved! To repeat myself again because if the significance of this issue, first, one must believe in a good God. He has our best interest foremost in mind even when it doesn’t look like it. Second, God sent His only Son to die for our sins and through our faith in Jesus, they are all removed as far as the east is from the west. They are not covered over as they were in the Old Testament, but completely forgiven. Finally, God has something great in store for us in the Kingdom to come. These three convictions or persuasions make up the definition of saving faith.

David Allen summarizes the closing blessing for us. He explains “To each and every reader/hearer of this sermon, our author covers them with the blessing of ‘grace,’ that pregnant New Testament word that encapsulates all that God has done for us through Christ in bringing about our salvation.”[2]

[1] Paul Ellingworth and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 339.

[2] David L. Allen, Hebrews, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010), 632.