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I didn't really finish reading your post, because you seem to think this is about grace. I think we have more than enough posts on grace lately. Not touching that one again. No, again, the subject is salvation. I'm just not interested in your study of grace, because it's about as related to my question as glorification.
Oh dear.. Oh dear! Oh dear! Dear Sister Lynn I must correct you (in love) Grace IS very much about salvation and the key to your question and everyone's questions about God. The love of God is not for sale. We cannot earn it either. We cannot be good enough for it. God gives it freely to those who believe it IS a GIFT that Jesus alone can give through His death on a cross and His resurrection showing us His victory over sin and death and His triumphing over it (for us).
The Bible says if we have seen Jesus we have seen the Father. Herein is love., not that we loved God but that He loved us!! And gave us His Son. Salvation is about God loving us so much He GAVE to us His Son to show us. John 3:16.
Jesus did all needed for us to be right with God. Grace is a word that describes that kind of Love. It cannot be earned, it can't be kept by our behavior. It just "IS" all by itself not needing anything from us to exist. It is the description of the love of God for us and later IN us to give to others. When we get a revelation of His love for us, we will begin to understand 'some' about the nature of God and how He relates to us before we got saved AND after.
That is why so many believers here are so passionate about grace because they got a revelation about the love of God and just can't help but talk about it - and write about it - and stand up for it at every opportunity. Quite frankly, the love of God is all we think about because we NEED IT SOOO MUCH EVERY DAY!!!!!!
The world needs to hear about the love of God IN Christ. That is the Gospel. Even believers need to hear about the love of God IN Christ. Actually too, everything we know and have and will be here is based on our belief in the love of God for us personally.
All the while we walk on this earth if we know He loves us., His love will get us through today. And I'm sure if believers never grow in that grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ there will be much regret we didn't trust that He did actually love us that much and we could have had a much richer fuller life had we believed Him.
And He would have if we allowed Him, He would have covered us like He would have Israel as a mother hen covers her chicks but they would not!
Faith in His unending love for us that saves and also keeps us. Grace describes that love. It's FREE to all those who want it. Jesus keeps telling people to COME and drink of the water of life.,it is free to you because it is a gift only God can give.