Monday, June 29, 2009

In Christ - We have Grace

We have so much in Christ, I have briefly touched a few things we have in Him. I Peter 2:9 (my Siesta verse) tells us who we are in Him:

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

When I taught the 11-13 yr old Sunday school class at my church years ago (boy when that season was over, WAS it ever OVER!) many of the youth had trouble comprehending grace and why not, it's hard for our finite minds to grasp. I told them to remember this, GRACE - God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Grace is God's unmerited favor poured out on us. We cannot earn it, we do not deserve it. His grace never ends...He freely gives it to us daily...and sometimes by the minute...

The Bible tells us this about grace:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (Thank You Father, grace came in the form of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.)

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(Through Jesus, we receive grace - we are New Covenant people - I am a New Covenant girl.)

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (It's God's grace that enables us to minister to those who are most unlovable in the natural realm, but very much loved by God. Grace kept me from smacking the doctor who overdosed my dad and put him in a coma. Grace enables us to be His hand and feet on earth.)

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (Whose grace is sufficient - His grace...not our talent, not our deeds - His grace.)

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. (He's lavished it on us ladies...with all wisdom and understanding..lavished, live like you lavishly receive.)

So let us live as the forgiven children we are, let us receive and extend mercy, let us receive the grace God pours out to us each day and extend it to those we see and talk to everyday. And let us keep persedangvering as we endeavor to live the life He's called us to live...

2 comments:

Connie Arnold said...

God's grace is such a precious gift. Thank you for your inspiring post! I had heard about grace being God's unmerited favor, but had not heard "GRACE - God's Riches At Christ's Expense" which is really great!

annie's eyes said...

You are right. Finite minds cannot fully grasp the infinite. Beautiful promises from Jesus. Infinite Grace is perhaps my greatest blessing --In Christ. Thanks for this series. Love, A