Amazing Grace

Wikipedia defines grace as a term Christians use for "the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it." Read that again. Isn't it amazing! I used to think that if I could will myself to just be good, if I could muster up some kind of determination, I would be able to change my life and make it perfect. I would be able to "get" salvation because I would be focused enough. While it sounds silly to me now, I realize still that I have not grasped the full meaning of grace. There are still times when I catch myself thinking, "Focus. You can do this." When in reality, I can do nothing by myself. I deserve nothing but punishment. All of us deserve nothing but punishment. We have sinned against God, and no amount of focusing can earn us salvation! To some of us, that statement is one we have heard over and over again. But let it challenge you today. Go word by word and think about that sentence. We have sinned against God, and no amount of focusing can earn us salvation! It is only by God's grace that we are saved.

One man defined grace in an acronymn:
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense.

Christ died for us because of the unmerited favor God bestowed on His creation. He loved us so much that He decided to send His only Son to Earth to eventually be killed in our place. He paid the price--but only because of the grace of God. If you find this hard to comprehend (as I sometimes do), I would encourage you to do a study on it sometime. Look up all the different meanings of grace--and let your astonishment grow! God gave up His SON for YOU! That is beyond incredible, in my opinion. Thank Him today for the grace He has given to us. And then have a wonderful day!