19/01/2026
THE WORD FOR TODAY
Salvation is a gift
19 January 2026
‘By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.’
Ephesians 2:8 NKJV
Jack Welch, who guided the General Electric Company through some of its most profitable years, wrote a book called Winning. Compiling many of the different questions people had asked him along with his answers, he wrote a book of management principles. One question was this: ‘Do you think you will go to heaven when you die?’ In response, Jack listed some of the mistakes he had made in business and in life, including two divorces. Then he said, ‘So as far as heaven, who knows? But if there are any points given out for caring for people with every fibre of your being and giving life all you’ve got every day, then I suppose that I might have a shot!’
But going to heaven is not about caring for people or giving life all your energy every day. It’s about putting your trust in Jesus Christ – and in Him alone. Maybe understanding this truth is harder for successful business people than for others, due to their own drive, vision, and energy that have helped them attain success. But when it comes to heaven, those traits don’t count. No one earns heaven; it is a gift. ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23 NKJV). Hebrews 6:4 calls it ‘the heavenly gift’. And the apostle Paul writes, ‘By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV).
Genesis 39-40, Matthew 11
