God's Graceful Love for Us

"Grace is but Glory begun, and Glory is but Grace perfected."  - Jonathan Edwards

As we read through the Word of God, there are a few words or phrases that repeatedly come up. One of these is Grace. To give you some idea of what I am talking about, Grace appears approximately 200 times in the King James Version Bible!

It's a very versatile word that we use in many different situations in our daily lives, as well. For example, "It was only by the grace of God that she was found in time." But it's when this word is used in connection to Our Lord that the real importance really shines.

Think of grace as God choosing to bless, rather than curse us as we deserve because of sin. It is His kindness and compassion to us undeserving sinners. Only through God's grace were we saved from sin by Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24). None of us can receive God's blessing in return for doing something, it wouldn't be grace (Romans 4:4).

Often times, we confuse grace and mercy. God exhibits both of them, but there is difference. Here's the breakdown. Mercy is God holding back on judgment, or punishment that I deserve. Grace, on the other hand, is God providing me with blessings, or good things that I don't deserve.

It is because of God's grace that we receive eternal life and the promise of heaven, even though there is no way that we are worthy of it. Thus, it's easy to see that in regards to our salvation, grace is right at the top of the list (Ephesians 2:8). There is no other way to enter into a relationship with God than by His grace towards us.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee had this to say about God's grace, "When I hear Christians say, “I don’t do this, and I don’t do that, and I am following a set of rules,” I immediately recognize that they know very little about the grace of God. They are trying to live the Christian life in their own strength. But Paul says, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

The grace of God is necessary for our salvation, and without it eternal life is out of our reach. But, it is also vital to our daily walk with Him. Our own weaknesses make it easy for us to stray off the path. We can't do it on our own (John 15:5). But, through His grace working inside of us, God can provide the strength that we need everyday.

Scripture: Titus 2:11; Hebrews 4:16; John 1:17; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Timothy 2:1

Prayer: Dear Lord, I know that I have have sinned, and fall short of Your glory; but through Your grace I have been redeemed; and can live eternally with You. Amen

May God bless you!

Amber