Grace - that all encompassing word that seems to mean different things to different people. To some the thought of grace reminds them of how good God has been to them. To others it brings back memories salvation from the bondage of sin.
Mercy is defined as not getting what we do deserve and grace is defined as getting what we don't deserve. Let me give and example. A teenager is caught speeding. The young lady goes to court. The judge is sitting behind the desk looking very stern. He looks at the young lady and says, "do you realize I could take away your license, give you community service or a jail term, and impound your car?" Naturally, she is terrified. Instead he reduces her fine from several hundred dollars to fifty dollars. Then he steps around from behind the desk, takes off his robe and pays her fine? Why? Because the judge is her father.
This is the perfect picture of God's grace. The fact that he reduced her fine is mercy. She didn't get the judgment she deserved. When he paid her fine that was grace. He gave her something she was not worthy to have.
Notice what he did not do. He did not give her a free pass to keep speeding. Speeding was still against the law and against this fathers wishes for his daughter. It was still just as dangerous. There are some who seem to think that grace is a license to live however I want to live and have God overlook it. Whatever else Grace may be, it is not a license to sin. Grace is better defined as the power of the Holy Spirit living in me to keep me from sinning.
Impossible, you might say. No once can live free from sin. I know that all of us are imperfect. But as Christians we are on a journey of perfection. Our daily desire should be to become a little more like Jesus. Naturally we will never reach a place where we have no struggles with our flesh while we are in these imperfect human bodies. But the more we grow in God the less we should struggle with certain things. If we are still struggling with the same anger, unforgiveness, or temptation we were struggling with five years ago we need to reevaluate. Have I really surrendered it to God? Am I truly doing all I can to let Grace work in my life.
Jesus told the woman who was caught in adultery that he would not condemn her. But he didn't stop there. He told her to "go and sin no more." This is grace. He wouldn't give a command if he didn't also give the power to keep the command. Instead of thinking of all the reasons why we can't chance, why don't we begin to thank God for helping us change? Instead of making excuses, why not give God a chance to work? You might be surprised what He can do. If we do fail, there is mercy. But let's not use mercy and grace as an excuse anymore. Grace is not an excuse to do wrong but a reason to do better.
Phillipians 4:13 - I can do all things though Christ who give me strength.
Mercy is defined as not getting what we do deserve and grace is defined as getting what we don't deserve. Let me give and example. A teenager is caught speeding. The young lady goes to court. The judge is sitting behind the desk looking very stern. He looks at the young lady and says, "do you realize I could take away your license, give you community service or a jail term, and impound your car?" Naturally, she is terrified. Instead he reduces her fine from several hundred dollars to fifty dollars. Then he steps around from behind the desk, takes off his robe and pays her fine? Why? Because the judge is her father.
This is the perfect picture of God's grace. The fact that he reduced her fine is mercy. She didn't get the judgment she deserved. When he paid her fine that was grace. He gave her something she was not worthy to have.
Notice what he did not do. He did not give her a free pass to keep speeding. Speeding was still against the law and against this fathers wishes for his daughter. It was still just as dangerous. There are some who seem to think that grace is a license to live however I want to live and have God overlook it. Whatever else Grace may be, it is not a license to sin. Grace is better defined as the power of the Holy Spirit living in me to keep me from sinning.
Impossible, you might say. No once can live free from sin. I know that all of us are imperfect. But as Christians we are on a journey of perfection. Our daily desire should be to become a little more like Jesus. Naturally we will never reach a place where we have no struggles with our flesh while we are in these imperfect human bodies. But the more we grow in God the less we should struggle with certain things. If we are still struggling with the same anger, unforgiveness, or temptation we were struggling with five years ago we need to reevaluate. Have I really surrendered it to God? Am I truly doing all I can to let Grace work in my life.
Jesus told the woman who was caught in adultery that he would not condemn her. But he didn't stop there. He told her to "go and sin no more." This is grace. He wouldn't give a command if he didn't also give the power to keep the command. Instead of thinking of all the reasons why we can't chance, why don't we begin to thank God for helping us change? Instead of making excuses, why not give God a chance to work? You might be surprised what He can do. If we do fail, there is mercy. But let's not use mercy and grace as an excuse anymore. Grace is not an excuse to do wrong but a reason to do better.
Phillipians 4:13 - I can do all things though Christ who give me strength.