Week 33 - Grace

Grace. I’ve been thinking about this word lately. We toss this word around quite a bit. We say “grace” before a meal. We ask others to give us “grace” when we fail to follow-thru on something. There are “grace” periods to pay bills. A ballet dancer who dances with ease is said to do so “gracefully”. However, I am fully convinced that we do not understand the weight of this word in regards to our relationship with God.

Many people have heard the biblical definition of grace as being “unmerited or unearned favor” from God. But, exactly how does this grace look?

The ultimate act of God’s grace was that He, as a perfect, loving God who is holy, and without sin created a way for sinful, unholy people to have a relationship with Him. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8) Grace.

We deserve eternal death. He devised a way to give us eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Grace.

God determined that Moses would be called his "friend", the one to lead his people out of slavery even though he would be a murderer, argue God’s call on his life and be ill equipped to lead over a million people out of Egypt and in the wilderness for 40 years. Grace.

David was made king of Israel, and was known as a man after God’s own heart with God fully knowing in advance that he would commit adultery and murder. Grace.

God planned for Paul to be his ambassador, writing many of the books of the New Testament, and being known as a great servant of God, even though he would begin his career as Saul, persecutor and murderer of Christians. Grace.

God knew that one day (insert your name) would be (insert where you are, what you are doing, etc. ), even though (insert your name) would disappoint Him, break His heart, walk away from Him, (insert whatever else comes to mind). Grace.

Grace, it’s not as simple as we have come to make it.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In the grateful grip of His grace,

Kim