Why is the grace of God important for salvation?

Grace is fundamentally important for salvation in the historic Reformed understanding because it underscores that our salvation is not based on our own merit but is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 explicitly states, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.' This emphasizes that grace is the active, divine favor that God extends to sinners. During the sermon, the preacher illustrates this through the story of Zacchaeus, who did not deserve Jesus' attention yet received grace when Christ chose to enter his home. The transformative effect of grace means that salvation entails a radical change in how we live and view our relationship with God. It compels us to respond in faith, producing good works not as a means of earning salvation but as evidence of the life-changing grace we have received.