Grace Abounds

Grace and peace to you my friends!

Grace allows me to be who I really am, warts and all!  God's grace accepts me exactly as I am.  I don't have to pretend.  I don't have to fake it!  And this knowledge is freeing.  It's hard work to pretend I am something I am not.  It goes against a person's natural inclinations.  I can relax.  "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect..."   1 Corinthians 15:10
Grace - amazing grace! What is it?

Webster's New World Dictionary College Edition provides a theological definition of grace: "The unmerited love and favor of God toward man; divine influence acting in man to make him pure and morally strong; the condition of a person thus influenced."  There is nothing I can do or ever have done to earn God's grace.  It is a gift that God freely gives.  Grace prompted God to give - to send His Son.  This is God's love in action and it is transforming.

Louis Berkhof in his Systematic Theology refers to grace as a covenant between God and man.  He says it like this:  "The covenant of grace may be defined as that gracious agreement between the offended God and the offending but elect sinner, in which God promises salvation through faith in Christ, and the sinner accepts this believingly, promising a life of faith and obedience."  (Section 111 Nature of the Covenant of Grace, B. Par. 4)  Grace is God's love expressed to those who deserve it the least.  It is an offer of eternal life with Him through Jesus.  And those elect that have accepted the gift make a promise to be faithful and obedient.   Thus a covenant is made between God and man.

Keeping in mind that God is a Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - the manifestation of grace would involve interaction with all three persons of the Trinity.  Grace is the gift of God - Ephesians 2:8, offered through the action of God's Son, Jesus - Ephesians 2:7 and worked in us through the Holy Spirit - 1 Peter 1:2.   In his article What Is Grace, John MacArthur states "Grace is not a dormant or abstract quality, but a dynamic, active, working principle: "The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation...and instructing us" (Titus 2: 11-12).  It is not some ethereal blessing that lies idle until we appropriate it. Grace is God's sovereign initiative to sinners. (Ephesians 1:5-6)".

In the covenant of grace, God takes the first step by offering it as a gift.  Once we accept that gift, it is our duty to wholeheartedly jump in as faithful, loyal, all-in followers of Christ.  I think of Billy Graham who had been preaching for 73 years and Chuck Swindoll who has been preaching for 53 years.  These are men like you and I that are sinners saved by grace and they are all-in followers of Christ.  Will you or I be a Billy Graham or Chuck Swindoll, probably not, but can we be all-in followers that serve regularly in our local churches and communities? Absolutely! Because you and I have the same grace bestowed on us that Billy and Chuck have.  Think about that.

We have looked at what grace is. For a moment let's look at what grace is not. Grace is not, a "Free Pass" to do as we choose.  Often as Christians, we fail to see that God's grace calls us to be better people - "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Romans 12: 2a    About grace, the Bible says "It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."  Titus 2: 12  One foot in the world and one foot on God's playing field just doesn't cut it with God.  Revelations 3:15 & 16 are words to heed, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth."  One foot in and one foot out is being lukewarm.  God knows that in our humanness - in our weakness - we often have trouble making commitments.  It is hard for us to make a commitment to the people we see every day.  This covenant is a commitment to be faithful and obedient to God whom we can not see.  But God, in His grace, promises to help us with this.  He tells us, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12: 9 God's promise is that He will make us strong and able to say "No" to the world and "Yes" to being all-in.

There is a very old song that I taught my Sunday School kids years ago.  I haven't heard it sung in a church setting in quite a while - unless of course it was my own Sunday School class - I love the old Bible songs... It is not sung in the more contemporary church settings because the tune isn't upbeat or catchy.  But the words speak volumes about being all-in for God. 

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back, no turning Back

The cross before me - the world behind me, The cross before me - the world behind me, The cross before me the world behind me
No turning back, no turning back

Though none go with me I still will follow, Though none go with me I still will follow, Though none go with me I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back

God's grace abounds.  It is plentiful and unconditional - given freely to all who accept it.  Those who accept, are then filled with grace and able to give grace to others through works and words and love. "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." 2 Corinthians 9: 8

Yes, grace...amazing grace!  How sweet it is! Grace abounds!

Signed,
A sinner saved by grace



References:
Webster's New World Dictionary College Edition 1966
Berkhof, Louis, (1938). Systematic Theology. https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/berkhof/systematic_theology.html. Section 111, Nature of the Covenant of Grace, B, Par. 4. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
What is Grace. MacArthur, John. http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/grace-to-you/read/articles/what-is-grace-10339.html.  Par. 13. Retrieved 5 September 2016.