Grace: what comes to mind when you hear that word?! Do you think of an act of kindness or referring to someone of royalty?! Or maybe someone that moves with great elegance, which is something I know nothing about. I’m the person that trips over nothing and runs into clearly visible objects on a regular basis.
The Bible talks a lot of Grace, but what does that mean?!
God’s Grace in short is God’s love, acceptance, and forgiveness that is freely given to us, without terms or conditions. Which is great because I know no one here actually reads the terms and conditions for anything you sign up for.
Through God’s Grace, we are forgiven, resulting in changing the way we think and react.
Isn’t it funny?! The same word we use to refer to people of high stature is the same word God uses to show the highest form of forgiveness, love, acceptance, and healing. We all make mistakes, sometimes we say things we don’t mean, have bad attitudes and lash out at others.
Ephesians 2:8 NLT
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
One of the many amazing things about Grace is that it is not a one and done deal. It is a continuing cycle. It’s runs in a circle, and now how many of you thought about the song, the circle of life from the Lion King. Because I 100% did. Most people who know me, know I live my life through song lyrics, many of them Disney. God’s Grace works in a circle. The circle of God’s Grace starts off with God, who then gives us Grace, and as we receive Grace, we give grace to others, which points back to God.
God’s Grace is a gift:
1.God’s Grace on us:
-Needing God’s Grace when we mess up or make mistakes doesn’t make us weak, it makes us stronger because His Grace causes us to lean on Him.
- God's Grace helps us to live free.
Romans 6:14 NLT
14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. You live under the freedom of God’s grace.
Titus 3:7a NLT
7a Because of His Grace He made us right in His sight
James 4:6a NLT
6a And he gives grace generously.
-We need to receive it as a gift-not expect any terms or conditions on God’s acceptance or forgiveness.
-There is nothing we can do to make God not want to give you His grace.
-When we allow God’s Grace to come in, it helps us to forgive and accept ourselves, which in turn, helps us to freely forgive and accept others.
God’s Grace changes us, it causes us to respond instead of reacting.
2. God’s Grace through us:
-Just as God has freely given us forgiveness and acceptance when we mess up, we need to freely give God’s Grace to others.
-When you share His Grace with others, a door opens for God to enter and start working in that person’s life.
-Forgiveness and acceptance as humans is always filled with conditions or underlying motives, so when we respond to someone’s bad attitude with the Grace of God, it confuses them and causes them to think about why?!
People will forget what you say, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.
Psalms 23:5b NLT
5 My cup overflows with blessings.
-God pours into us so that we can pour into others, not to keep it for ourselves.
- There is more than enough of His Grace to go around.
At the end of the day, all of us are human, trying to do the best we can. God’s Grace entering our lives helps us to love and forgive ourselves and to spread that acceptance to others by responding with Grace instead of offense or selfishness.
Beautiful