Living by Grace
I have been thinking about grace.
Not the prayer that is said before a meal or the woman named Grace. But GRACE. God's grace. Grace is sometimes difficult to grasp because we live in a world that tells us you have to earn things like love, merit, and favor. The world we live in tells us that we get what we deserve and that nothing is free.
But God's love is freely given to everyone. God's work of salvation, the gift of Christ atonement (at - one - ment) is freely extended to all. We don't have to do something to earn it-- we could never do enough to earn it. We don't have to pay for it. We don't deserve God's love and salvation but he loves us anyway. We only have to receive God's love and salvation.
This is what is so amazing about grace. God loves you and me and God gives us what we don't deserve but he also does't give us what we do deserve.
What I have been thinking about today is that being saved by grace should lead to living by grace. The same grace that I receive from God I should extend to others. I should show this amazing grace to my wife, children, family, friends, enemies and strangers. I need to love regardless. People should not have to earn my love, merit, or favor. My love and forgiveness should not be based on people earning it or deserving it.
Living in and living by grace. Grace is a hard concept to grasp but I think we know it when we see it. I pray that grace can be made visiable in and through me. I am saved by grace, may I live by grace, and share grace.
Love today.
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
Not the prayer that is said before a meal or the woman named Grace. But GRACE. God's grace. Grace is sometimes difficult to grasp because we live in a world that tells us you have to earn things like love, merit, and favor. The world we live in tells us that we get what we deserve and that nothing is free.
But God's love is freely given to everyone. God's work of salvation, the gift of Christ atonement (at - one - ment) is freely extended to all. We don't have to do something to earn it-- we could never do enough to earn it. We don't have to pay for it. We don't deserve God's love and salvation but he loves us anyway. We only have to receive God's love and salvation.
This is what is so amazing about grace. God loves you and me and God gives us what we don't deserve but he also does't give us what we do deserve.
What I have been thinking about today is that being saved by grace should lead to living by grace. The same grace that I receive from God I should extend to others. I should show this amazing grace to my wife, children, family, friends, enemies and strangers. I need to love regardless. People should not have to earn my love, merit, or favor. My love and forgiveness should not be based on people earning it or deserving it.
Living in and living by grace. Grace is a hard concept to grasp but I think we know it when we see it. I pray that grace can be made visiable in and through me. I am saved by grace, may I live by grace, and share grace.
Love today.
In Christ's love and mine,
Doug
Comments