"But we believe that we are saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."
Acts 15:11
When it comes to grace, people usually go wrong in one of
two ways. We either think that we’re too
far gone for it and dismiss it or we take it for granted and abuse it. While they’re on opposite ends of the
spectrum, they’re actually just two different expressions of the same problem; they
both view grace as weakness. The first
group lives as if grace is too weak to rescue them and the second group lives
as if grace is too weak to transform them.
Both are wrong. Grace
isn’t weakness. Grace is power. It is power to save and to transform; to cover
all of our sins and remove them from our lives; to get you off the hook and to
get you into the zone of transformation.
Listen to Paul’s testimony: For I am the least of
the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me
did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but
the grace of God with me. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10
I love that. First,
Paul relates with those
of us who think we’re the exception to God’s grace. If there was ever a candidate, it was Paul, not
you. Apparently, his sin wasn’t too
powerful for God’s infinitely more powerful grace and neither is yours. Paul could have lived in perpetual guilt for
what he had done, or he could have taken advantage of what God had done for
him. But he didn’t and look at what he accomplished.
Grace isn’t just a cheap perfume you
splash on to cover the stench of your sins; it’s the power to change your life
from the inside out.
Yes, grace is more than just divine favor; grace is power. Power to save, power to live right, power to
talk right, power to walk right, power to give and power to forgive. God’s grace is the power to do anything God
calls you to do in His name; power to pray and power to overcome.
We are quick to understand the need of grace for our
forgiveness, for if God was not willing to offer us salvation we would have no
means for securing eternal life. But do
we make the grace of God “in vain” when we ignore it as our source of
power to serve and minister in His name?
We can certainly seek to please God with our righteousness but we know
that is of no effect for salvation. (Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. Titus 3:5) Can we learn the same is true
for our service? Our feeble efforts
bring God no glory. It is His working in
us that brings Him praise.
Paul
reminded the Corinthians that when we allow God to work in us we remove all
temptation to pride and position. For consider your calling,
brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many
mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to
shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things
which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has
chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so
that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who
became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and
redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN
THE LORD." I Corinthians 1:26-31
We have the same options as Paul. Embrace the power of God’s grace and imagine
what you’ll become. Ask God for His
grace to power your life through those difficult places and relationships. In the end, you will have reason to praise
Him.
Scripture to Claim:
…so that, as sin
reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:21
