Grace is More Than…

Just as we didn’t save ourselves from the wages of sin, we cannot save ourselves from the stuff of life on earth. It is God’s grace by which we hear His Word in our hearts and receive the faith needed for salvation and everything thereafter. There are about 160 verses containing the word “grace.” There are so many angles to study this amazing gift from the Lord.

God’s GRACE is far more than “unmerited favor,” it is His power working in every aspect of the believer’s life.

Ephesians 2:7   That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9   Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Real life starts in verse 8 above, at salvation. We didn’t get saved by anything we did other than receive enough of God’s Grace to have the faith we needed to come the Jesus in the first place. Too many believers forget that this reality never stops, it is the source of God’s power for everything else we’ll need this side of eternity. Just as we didn’t save ourselves from the wages of sin, we cannot save ourselves from the stuff of life on earth.

There has long been great debate as to what the apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh was.” I don’t think we will ever know it conclusively. One theory I that I think is the most logical is that that thorn was continual hardship and persecution for the sake of the Gospel he was spreading widely. Paul’s response to this thorn is a beautiful description of how God’s power works in the believer’s life; and not just when in the severe circumstances Paul so often found himself in.

2 Corinthians 12:8   For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9   And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10   Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Whatever our need may be, whatever our situation is, good bad or indifferent, there is grace to face it, deal with it and grow beyond through it. This next verse fills me with the appreciation that whatever situation may come in my life I can face it graciously and with confidence in my God,

Hebrews 4:15   For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16   Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

If grace was simply unmerited favor, how could Paul have penned the two scriptures just quoted? There are so many amazing stories of brothers and sisters in Christ who endured hardships I thankfully cannot experientially comprehend. These stories are testimonies of people tapping into the grace of God and getting through horrendous things. It’s good to look at our own circumstances with the attitude that if they could get through that and still stand than our situation is a piece of cake. 

On the other side of that coin, I’m a Jewish guy from Brooklyn, NY. I grew up on stories of the Holocaust, and of the pogroms in Czarist Russia. The mass murder, rape and torture, medical experimentation, starvation, etc. make me sick, knowing that these people did not know our Messiah and had little comprehension of the true character of God – how horrible it was I cannot fathom even after hearing their personal stories. The rabbi who trained me for Bar Mitsvah showed me a picture like this and asked me to find him in it. 

Just think about how God’s grace is working in the lives of average people not going through such extreme circumstances. It was by God’s grace that we had the faith to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. It was God’s grace that we had the faith to accept the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is by God’s grace that we can experience the wonder of His Holy Presence in our midst. God’s grace takes us through the process of sanctification. It was by God’s grace that you knew that that wonderful person you are married to was God’s special gift to you. It was by God’s grace that you found the church body where you feel like you are part of that family, that special group of people who bless you and you can bless on a regular basis and you have a pastor with a heart after God. It is by God’s grace that we can pray for the sick with expectation of healing (Mark 16:18).

I hope this message has gotten you to realize that God has much more for His people than most understand are available. Learning to tap into the power of God’s grace is crucial so I plan on addressing that in the next blog. Although the picture below says much along that line.