In my background and upbringing, we prefer to earn what we get. We don’t look for handouts or expect people to give us valuables without our payment or work for it. I believe generally that is a good perspective of how things work. We try to always do our part in life.
However, when it comes to God, so often we find ourselves in a great struggle. We consciously or subconsciously try to pay for everything we need from God. So, if I want salvation, I somehow need to pay for it. If I am in a trial, I look back on my life to see if I deserve God’s help and intervention. This is very discouraging, because if we are honest, we will find ourselves constantly falling short of what our performance should have been. Then any little bit of faith or hope that God may actually help us, grows wings real quick and flies away. How utterly helpless and hopeless we are in and of ourselves!
Now the good news is, the Good Shepherd knew this all along. This is why He offers us grace. His mercy, forgiveness, love, kindness, deliverance, power and every other good gift, too numerous to name, is all His grace. He knew we never deserved this and He knew we could never in our lifetime earn it. All we ever deserved was eternal damnation in hell. He knew this before we did. Yet, because of His great love for us, He freely offers us His grace. He is not honored when we think we have to earn it. He is honored when we freely receive it as a free gift.
Let There Be Life 