What Is Grace?
A Quick Handshake
Sam and I met in June 1996. The greeting was a quick handshake as I left the church after his first sermon he had preached in the United States. A year later, he returned from the UK to work at the church I infrequently attended.
We reconnected when I dropped off my little sister at Vacation Bible School. I mustered the courage and called him that evening and asked if he would like to go out and he agreed. Four days and four dates later, he asked me to marry him. Yes, you read that correctly.
He did not formally ask with a ring until his parents had met me. This gave me the opportunity to leave subtle hints on the ring I wanted. I may have left a picture of a ring in an obvious place for him to see. When we later priced it, we found the ring was way over the price range.
I found a ring that I liked that was in the price range and he purchased it. What I did not know was he returned that ring and worked with a jeweler who made jewelry at cost for friends and family. When the day came for him to propose, he opened the black velvet ring box and inside was the ring I had originally chosen.
This Gift…
This gift was not something I deserved, but something he wanted to do for me because he loved me. This is a small picture of what God has done because of His boundless love for us.
Because God loves us so much, He extends grace to us, giving us more than we could ever deserve. This love extends far beyond what any of us could ever fathom.
I wrote last week on, “What Is Righteousness?” All about what Jesus did for us on the cross, and you can read that here. By God sending His Son, He gave a gift none of us deserve.
God could have left us in our sinful state, but He rescued us, made us righteous. This is the picture of grace, getting what we do not deserve.
“Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.”
Romans 1:5 NIV
Unconditional Love
The grace God extends reveals His unconditional love and forgiveness. No matter how far we have wandered or the mistakes we have made, Jesus extends His almighty hand to embrace us. Because of His great love, our past actions or failures do not limit His grace. When we accept His gift of salvation, He can heal us, restore our brokenness, and set us free from the chains of guilt and shame.
Transformative Power
Grace can transform our lives. When we truly comprehend the depth of God’s grace, we will want to respond with worship, thankfulness, and paying it forward. Grace inspires us to extend the same love, forgiveness, and compassion we have received to others. It compels us to live a life of righteousness.
When We Say Yes
My life forever changed when I said yes to Sam. That, yes, has lasted twenty-five years and has been my second best yes. My absolute best yes was when I accepted the beautiful gift of grace God extended to me and to you. My life has changed because of this incredible gift. If you have never accepted it for yourself, I would love to tell you more. Contact me anytime. If you have accepted this gift, I would love to hear how God’s grace has changed your life. Please share your stories in the comments below. Let your stories be a testimony of His love for every one of us.
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”
John 1:6 ESV
