Grace

As I began considering what my next blog would be about, I realized that I myself needed a better, more defined understanding of the meaning of God’s grace.  I’ve used the terms for many years, but somehow never really fully understood what I was talking about.  So now I decided to find a meaning of the word “grace” that I could more fully understand.  This is what I found.  

As I searched through a Bible dictionary and Nave’s Topical Bible (love my Nave’s), I discovered a simple definition for grace that make sense to me.  Grace is God’s undeserved kindness to man.  That I could understand better.  As I read further I came to understand that His grace comes to us in two different ways... first, in our salvation through Jesus Christ and second, in His enabling us to live the Christian life after we have become a new creation in Christ.  Check out these verses that confirm these. 

  “But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even

          when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)

 

  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the

          riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” 

          (Ephesians 1:7-8)

  “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I 

          worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 

          (I Corinthians 15:10) 

As I continued to think about God’s grace, it dawned on me that God certainly does not HAVE to extend His grace to us.  God doesn’t HAVE to do anything for His creations.  However, out of His great and magnificent love for us, He does just that.  He extends His hand of kindness, mercy, faithfulness, and love to every one of His creations.  (Oooo, that’s another topic for another day)  Frankly, I’m so thankful that He does.  I’d certainly never be able to get along without Him, His Word, and His moment by moment grace.  Despite the fact that God is our Judge, is holy, and is perfect, God pours out His unconditional love for fallen humanity.  Indeed, what an awesome God He is!  This is just how awesome He is...

 

  “The LORD reigns forever; He has established His throne for judgment.  He will judge the world in

           righteousness; He will govern the peoples with justice.” (Psalm 9:7-8)

  “Our Redeemer — the LORD Almighty is His name — is the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 47:4)

  “Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under

          his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who 

          was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)

  “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take 

          refuge in Him.“  (II Samuel 22:31)

Then I couldn’t help but think about how depraved this humanity is that God loves so much.  

  “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10) 

  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)

In light of His perfection and holiness, His salvation is even more amazing and miraculous to me.  I am humbled to be His child, saved by His grace through belief in the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ for me.  I would not want anyone to face a Christ-less eternity, so I offer this plea to any person who has not yet accepted God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.  It’s a simple decision of your heart in which you realize your sinfulness, turn from your rebellious ways against the Lord, and ask the Lord to save you.  This says it so much better than I...

  “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised

          Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified,

          and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10) 

  “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which

          we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:12)

  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 

          (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Thank You, Lord, for new life in You.  

Yes, God’s grace is truly amazing.  It not only saves us... it enables us to grow in Him.  Amazing... just amazing.