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Thankful for Grace

I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way — in all your speaking and in all your knowledge.” – 1 Corinthians 1:4-5

What does it mean that God has given us grace?

Grace can be a difficult thing for many people. The word has been used in many different contexts with different meanings and, even when we understand the meaning, it can be difficult for us to accept.

What does grace mean?

Grace can mean elegance or refinement. It can mean to honor someone with your presence. It can even mean a pleasing, youthful appearance. I’m not talking about any of these.

David was the youngest of his brothers. He was small and had never served in the government or the military. He was so obscure that when the prophet Samuel, at the Lord’s command, went to the house of David’s father, Jesse, to anoint one of his sons as king of Israel, Jesse didn’t even think of David until none of his other sons were selected and Samuel asked if he had any more sons.

Yet, God chose David. David hadn’t done anything to make him worthy of being anointed, king. God chose him out of God’s own pleasure. That is grace.

Grace is receiving the unearned favor of God. It isn’t a wage for your good works. It’s a gift.

This is also different from mercy. Mercy is not receiving the punishment you deserve. Grace is receiving a blessing you don’t deserve.

Difficult to Accept
Even when we hear that grace is a gift, the unearned favor of God, we still often struggle to believe it. Why would God simply give me something, especially so many big gifts? Sure, a favor here and there we may accept, but to be made His child? To be given the righteousness of Jesus? To be given the Holy Spirit? Surely, we must do something to deserve this!

This thinking is what has led many to redefine grace as something God gives you so that you can do the things you’re supposed to do to earn all these things. They treat grace like a spiritual steroid that gives you the strength to earn your own righteousness because, surely, we must do something to deserve this. Right? Wrong!

It’s all a gift. You don’t earn any of it.

In fact, you can’t earn any of these amazing blessings. They only come as gifts.

So, how can we learn to accept that all this really is grace? How can we accept that God just gives it?

We see why God gives all these blessings.

Have you ever given someone a gift just because you wanted to? It wasn’t their birthday and they didn’t do anything. You just wanted to give them a gift. That’s what God does…all the time.

He does it because He loves us. He does it because He wants to.

What an amazing relief and joy to know that we don’t earn any of this. When we mess up or outright sin, we don’t have to fear that we have just lost our salvation or sonship or righteousness because it was never dependant on us. You have all these blessings because God wants to give them to you.

So, let us be thankful for God’s grace.

Heavenly Father,

You have shown great mercy to forgive my sins, but You don’t stop there. You give unimaginable gifts by Your grace. Thank you.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt