Grace, Pt.1

First of all, my apologies to anyone who may’ve missed my Friday post.  I wasn’t even able to think straight because I was suffering from a viral infection complete with fever, headache, body aches, and loss of appetite (and if you know me, you know it’s serious then).  But I’m -at least- back to blogging health!

I can’t even put into words yet, how these past five days have been.  I’m still trying to evaluate it myself.  But the Holy Spirit has put in the forefront of my mind the value of grace, which is commonly defined as unmerited favor by Christians.  Merriam-Webster’s definition, in the context of biblical scripture, is unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration and sanctification; a virtue coming from God; a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace; approval; favor; privilege.

To receive God’s grace is so humbling.  In fact, God gives grace to the humble 9Pr 3:34).  Not the perfect, but the humble.  Paul boasted in God’s wisdom to afflict him with a thorn in his flesh along with the revelations he’d given to keep him humble (2 Co 12:7-10).  The nature of his affliction of the flesh was unknown, so we can find ourselves here.  God gives a better solution than removing the thorn:  for him to show himself strong in people’s lives despite their weaknesses.  The absolute best example is Christ’s sacrificial death on Calvary and resurrection (Lk 22:41-44; 23:26-24:35).

Paul says something so striking in Acts 20:24, and I second it: ‘…I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace’.  Or as the Michael A. Jones version goes, ‘My life wouldn’t have meant nothin’ unless I did as God told me to do, through his Word, by living a life that testifies to the gospel of his grace, which has shown that although I was messed up, God was still able to use me!’  As much as Paul had been blessed with, he also had his weaknesses, which kept him humble and fully aware that it was all God who was working in him, and not himself. 

Without grace there would be no hope.  We’d be subject to the law of sin which results in death (Ro 8:1-2).  The law was given, not to bring about redemption, but to point out the need for it, which is only offered through Jesus Christ (Jn 14:6; Ro 5:20-21, and NIV note).  The Bible tells us to be careful of taking advantage of grace.  Don’t be deceived.  God cannot be mocked.  But grace should be our motivation to obey God in love (Ro 6:1-15; Gal 6:7).

Not to deny the reality and the goodness of justice, but grace is the cornerstone of the Christian faith.  Without it, there is no hope, no faith, no Christianity.  So I conclude with these parting words John wrote until Christ’s return, ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.’ (Rev 22:21)