It was grace that brought me to Christ when I became a Christian. Grace was indeed a new concept for me. As a child, I had gone to Sunday School and heard about Christ dying on the cross for our sins. But I misunderstood a key element of the Gospel: Grace. Even though I knew the story of Christ’s death, I still had the idea that I must have some part in my salvation. My part was to be a good person. The problem was that I wasn’t a good person. So, the idea of giant scales in heaven measuring my good deeds against my bad deeds was a frightening specter that caused me to fear death horribly.

But for the first time in my life, I was told about grace and given a verse I had not known, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). What a comfort grace is. When properly understood, it makes the difference between life and death. A misunderstanding of grace can lead one to false hope.

We read in Hebrews 2:9, “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

We are the recipients of grace, yet it comes with a price. We can easily forget this. We easily quote Ephesians 2:8-9, but can sometimes fail to mention the cost. Yes, grace means gift; God freely gives us eternal life when we place our faith in Him. But Jesus died so that we might be graciously forgiven. The grace of salvation does not exist independent of the death of Christ for sins.

We must always remember that grace is costly. It was costly to the Father who gave His only Son. It was costly to the Son of God, who gave His life willingly so that we, by grace, might be forgiven forever.

For the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews, these words would have been such welcome news and so sweet to their ears. God looked on them with grace. They had been shaken out of their complacency with the strong warnings to “pay much closer attention” and “not neglect so great a salvation” because one would not escape the consequences of such neglect (Hebrews 2:1-3).

Now to hear that God has graciously looked upon them. God, in His grace, did for them what they could not do for themselves. They didn’t need to worry that they were not doing enough. They didn't need to worry that they might not be good enough. They didn’t need to worry that they would, by their own effort, somehow fall short and be rejected by God.

No, it’s all of grace. And it is true for us as well.  He will hold on to you, and He will safely deliver you in the end. If it’s up to you, it’s not grace. If it’s up to you, you will not make it. But grace is all of God.

Our assurance of salvation is based on God’s gracious work through his Son, who accomplished what was impossible for us on our own. Rest in such marvelous grace which God has abundantly supplied to you.

John 1:16 says this about the grace we receive through Christ, "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” In other words, there is no limit to the grace we receive at salvation. It is multiplied many times over and is incalculable. His grace will always be more than sufficient.

C.H. Spurgeon told the story of a man who was given 100 pounds to give to a poor minister. He thought it was too much to give him all at once, so he sent him a letter with 5 pounds along with this simple message, “More to follow.” A few days later he sent another letter with 5 pounds and the words, “And more to follow.” He did this twenty times with the words, “And more to follow.”

Spurgeon concluded the story this way:

“Every blessing that comes from God is sent with the same message, ‘And more to follow.’ ‘I forgive you your sins, but there’s more to follow.’ ‘I justify you in the righteousness of Christ, but there’s more to follow.’ ‘I adopt you into my family, but there’s more to follow.’ ‘I educated you for heaven, but there’s more to follow.’ ‘I give you grace upon grace, but there’s more to follow.’ ‘I have helped you even to old age, but there’s still more to follow.’ ‘I will uphold you in the hour of death, and as you are passing into the world of spirits, my mercy shall still continue with you, and when you land in the world to come there shall still be more to follow.’”

The “world to come” is the world, not subjected to Angels (Heb 2:5), but the world subjected to “Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

Grace is amazing, and will lead us to the world to come, through the costly gift of His suffering and death.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,

I have already come;

’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.