Just how does a person receive the grace God has so generously provided through Jesus? It involves faith. God deals with your heart as well as your intellect. Faith comes through an act of your will; believing God’s promise is a decision on your part. But faith comes with a price. Jesus gave all He had and He asks you to do the same—the surrender of your entire being to Him.
Yet how can we even make a decision of such magnitude? It’s here that God’s gift of grace comes alive. Faith is not only action, it’s also a gift. Without God Himself instilling within you the faith needed to receive Him the whole thing is simply impossible. So ask Jesus to do in you what you obviously are not capable of yourself. He will; and you will receive a life you never dreamed possible. It merely takes willingness on your part.
From: The Path through the Maze—Answering Life’s Ultimate Question: What Happens After We Die?