Grace

When we think of grace, we may also think of mercy and love. When we love someone, we show them mercy when they’ve wronged us.  When we show them mercy, we also show grace.

In Webster’s New College Dictionary, ‘mercy’ is described as “Kind and compassionate treatment”.  We already know what love means, as love for our brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, and friends. ‘Grace’ can be described as “God-given”. Something that we can only obtain through Jesus Christ. According to James Ryle “Grace is the empowering Presence of God enabling you to be who He created you to be, and to do what He has called you to do."  Strong’s concordance describes ‘grace’ as the following: “Grace, the state of kindness and favor towards someone, often with a focus on a benefit given to the object."

Grace is what we experience when we allow Christ to come live inside of us. 2 Corinthians 8:9 explains grace in this way: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich”.  When Christ took our sins on the cross, He gave us the hope for eternal life.  Something I think that grace is: hope.

Hope immediately follows grace. Just as when Christ died for us, he showed us grace. And hope followed. We now have the joy of knowing that we will live in heaven, as there is nothing that separates us from God. We do not have to live in uncertain fear and haven’t needed to for over two thousand years.  That bridge has been built and we no longer have to sacrifice animals to have a relationship with God. Through the power of the blood, we have experienced true grace.  This is the kind of example that Christ gave to us to show to others.

Showing that kind of love to someone who has wronged me can be so difficult. But to live my life for Christ and to follow His example, I am called to show as much grace to others, as He did to those who crucified Him.

This is why I feel that grace is not something that we can obtain elsewhere than Christ.  It is  impossible to show grace without His help and doing so on our own strength will not work. We already know how much easier it is to forgive someone who has wronged us in smaller ways than those who wrong us in much greater ways. Ways that turn our world upside down. But without God’s guidance, we can do neither. This is where God’s help makes a difference in our responses to those people and when we ask for His help, we are promised that we will receive it. (John 15:7)

God does not leave us hanging for some “secret to showing grace”. God shows His wonderful grace, not only throughout His Word, but in our day to day lives.  

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18.


God bless,
Anna