If you knew you only had one month to live, how would you prepare to meet the Lord? I have asked this question to several people and many of the answers have to do with getting their lives aligned with the activities most Christians associate with being a good Christian. Answers like: “I will pray more and spend more time studying the Bible”. Others respond with: “I will give more and get my tithes up-to-date”, or, “I will get involved in helping those less fortunate than myself.” All these are good things to do, but it reveals that the assurance of their salvation is performance based and not by grace. The Bible says this about our salvation: “For by grace are you saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Grace is a concept unique to the Christian Faith. It has to do with receiving what you do not deserve. In other religions, as with secular thought, justice, favor and rewards are based on merit and performance. One deserves what they get. Even the benevolent acts of forgiving and charity or conditioned to the receiver’s attitudes of repentance and gratefulness. Grace, on the other hand, is unmerited favor, and so much more. It isn’t a response to man’s change of heart but precedes any attempt by man to be good or to approach God. Paul told the Romans that God’s love took the initiative in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Then salvation was offered to sinful mankind. That is grace. All our repenting, confessing, believing, praying, etc., is a response to the grace given to us.
To understand grace would take volumes, and many famous theologians have done just that, so allow me to be bold enough to try to unpack it in just a few paragraphs. Grace is God doing what we do not deserve. Grace is God’s fulness in our life and His power working on our behalf. Grace does not just start you off on a path toward God and then leave you to work out all the details. Grace is essential every day of your life. Paul confessed that by grace he was what he was. (1 Corinthians 15:10) All his achievements were not for him to boast about, for it was the grace of God working in and through him. The more Paul walked with the Lord, the more he was conscious of his need and dependency on the grace of God. Without grace, he could do nothing, yet, by grace he could fulfil God’s intended purpose for his life. And so, it is with us.
I don’t know if I really understand the whole scope of Salvation, but one thing I am growing in is the realization that only by God’s grace can we do His will. All ministry and giftings of the Holy Spirit are God’s grace given to us. The early apostles testified to the resurrection by great manifestations of the power of God because great grace was upon them. (Acts 4:23) When questioned about the source of their power, they explained that it had nothing to do with themselves, but it was God working through them. Grace keeps us humble. Who can take credit for what God does, even when we are the earthen vessels through which He works?
Grace is always available to us. Whether we are facing insurmountable problems or just dealing with the issues of life, God’s grace is always sufficient. To grow in grace is to grow down, not up. It is becoming less self-conscience and more God-conscious. Where the Spirit leads you, you will always have all the grace you need. It is not an inactive state of being, but an enablement to participate in God’s mission here on the earth. AND, it is not just for this present time. Grace is eternal and leads us into eternal life with Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:21)
Scriptures to meditate on: Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 4:23; John 1:14, 16; 2 Corinthians 9:8; 12:9; Romans 11:6