Seventeeth-century English speakers combined the Latin noun "gratia," meaning "grace" or "favor," with the English prefix "in-" to create the verb "ingratiate." When you ingratiate yourself, you are putting yourself in someone's good graces to gain their approval or favor. English words related to "ingratiate" include "gratis" and "gratuity." Both of these reflect something done or given as a favor through the good graces of the giver.
- Who we are will never suffice: Acts 10:34 tells us that G-d is not one to show partiality (He is not a "respecter of persons" as the KJV puts it).
- Our deeds will never suffice: Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of G-d. Matthew 7:22 tells us that many will come before the Lord claiming great deeds but to no avail. The next verse (Matthew 7:23) is very enlightening...
- Who we know will never suffice. We cannot have a "buddy on the inside" or pray to some saint (Isaiah 8:19-20) to get us into G-d's good graces.
Instead it is Who knows us that will be important. In Matthew 7:23 Messiah says to many "I never knew you." Yet He says in John 10:14 "I know my own" and His own know Him. How can we be certain that we know Him? The disciple John answers this question in 1 John 2:3-6. We can know and love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
In regards to salvation, may we live in the light of His love and not seek to ingratiate ourselves to Him. Instead may we rest upon the completed work of salvation. Yeshua is the Hebrew name of Messiah that means "the LORD saves". It was Yeshua/Salvation Who said upon the cross, "It is finished." (John 19:30). The work of Yeshua/Salvation was complete.
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