For the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 1:17
In the seventeen hundreds John Newton wrote the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ which still has a voice today almost 300 years later. A few years ago author Philip Yancey asked a question ‘What’s So Amazing About Grace?’ The theme of grace continues to be an important one to the Christian church today, and it certainly needs to be.
The apostle Paul reminds believers in Ephesians 2:8 ‘For by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…. '. I think every letter Paul wrote began with the words ‘Grace and peace’. Paul was very aware of the grace of God to him who had once persecuted and murdered in misguided zeal for his faith. He said in another place ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’ He held no confidence in himself, only in his God.
When we truly understand and experience the grace of God in our own lives, we are able to extend grace to others. Sometimes people have to go to awful depths of sin and degradation before they can experience God’s grace. But it will often be found that those who have come out of terrible life experiences will be the ones most able to extend grace to others.
Sadly, many Christians receive God’s grace for themselves but find it extremely hard to be gracious to others. I would dare to say that they have not truly understood the awesomeness of God’s grace, because when we understand it, we will stand ready to give grace as freely as we have received it.
I once heard a teaching that described grace as ‘the empowering presence of God’. Grace empowers us to live a life that honours God and shows love to his people. The law was a rigid moral code with little room for grace. But grace and truth, (the truth that we needed a Saviour to fulfil the law of God on our behalf), came through Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
Sadly we often experience so little grace from fellow Christians when we fail in our Christian walk. Many times I have seen Christians ‘write off’ their fellow believers rather than try to help restore them to God. That is not the way of God that Jesus showed us. He spoke volumes about the grace of God in his story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). We too need to take the truth of this story and extend as much grace to others as God has shown to us or we are in danger of being rigid, moralistic upholders of the law. Such were the Pharisees of Jesus’ day and to them he showed no mercy because they did not portray God as he truly is. Their god was their rules and regulations. May God help us to avoid falling into such a religious trap and may grace and peace be the hallmark of your life and mine.
Prayer: Loving Father, have mercy on me for the times I have neglected to extend grace to fellow Christians. Please fill me with your love afresh and help me be a grace-giver, as you have been to me. Amen
In the seventeen hundreds John Newton wrote the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ which still has a voice today almost 300 years later. A few years ago author Philip Yancey asked a question ‘What’s So Amazing About Grace?’ The theme of grace continues to be an important one to the Christian church today, and it certainly needs to be.
The apostle Paul reminds believers in Ephesians 2:8 ‘For by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…. '. I think every letter Paul wrote began with the words ‘Grace and peace’. Paul was very aware of the grace of God to him who had once persecuted and murdered in misguided zeal for his faith. He said in another place ‘By the grace of God I am what I am.’ He held no confidence in himself, only in his God.
When we truly understand and experience the grace of God in our own lives, we are able to extend grace to others. Sometimes people have to go to awful depths of sin and degradation before they can experience God’s grace. But it will often be found that those who have come out of terrible life experiences will be the ones most able to extend grace to others.
Sadly, many Christians receive God’s grace for themselves but find it extremely hard to be gracious to others. I would dare to say that they have not truly understood the awesomeness of God’s grace, because when we understand it, we will stand ready to give grace as freely as we have received it.
I once heard a teaching that described grace as ‘the empowering presence of God’. Grace empowers us to live a life that honours God and shows love to his people. The law was a rigid moral code with little room for grace. But grace and truth, (the truth that we needed a Saviour to fulfil the law of God on our behalf), came through Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
Sadly we often experience so little grace from fellow Christians when we fail in our Christian walk. Many times I have seen Christians ‘write off’ their fellow believers rather than try to help restore them to God. That is not the way of God that Jesus showed us. He spoke volumes about the grace of God in his story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). We too need to take the truth of this story and extend as much grace to others as God has shown to us or we are in danger of being rigid, moralistic upholders of the law. Such were the Pharisees of Jesus’ day and to them he showed no mercy because they did not portray God as he truly is. Their god was their rules and regulations. May God help us to avoid falling into such a religious trap and may grace and peace be the hallmark of your life and mine.
Prayer: Loving Father, have mercy on me for the times I have neglected to extend grace to fellow Christians. Please fill me with your love afresh and help me be a grace-giver, as you have been to me. Amen
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