Grace

[jenni211]

I was thinking about the Grace of God today and just how amazing it is. I recently read a book on the subject and it has changed my thinking.

This is one of the things that the author (Phillip Yancy) said about grace...

"Grace means that there is nothing that I can do to make God love me more; and nothing that we can do that will make Him love us less."

Imagine... nothing that we can do or say will ever change the way that god feels about us. We're His children and He Loves us unconditionally.

Just a thought

Jennifer

[David from New Bern]

I was thinking about the Grace of God today and just how amazing it is. I recently read a book on the subject and it has changed my thinking.

This is one of the things that the author (Phillip Yancy) said about grace...

"Grace means that there is nothing that I can do to make God love me more; and nothing that we can do that will make Him love us less."

Imagine... nothing that we can do or say will ever change the way that god feels about us. We're His children and He Loves us unconditionally.

Just a thought

Jennifer

That is the gospel in a nutshell. Phillip Yancey is a great writer. Do yourself a favor and pick out another one of his books. I had a professor who was blind from birth and his handicap did not stop him from rejoicing in the grace of God loudly and frequently in all of his conversation and lectures. He always closed his lectures with prayer. There was a line that he always used that would always choke me up..."Thank you God for loving me...It amazes me that you know me so well...yet you still choose to love like you do!"...That puts the sovereignty of in perspective with His grace...What a God we serve!

[David from New Bern]

Unfortunately this definition of grace is unscriptural.

James 4:6

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Then in Romans 6, Paul addresses the issue of "license", that is "sinning that grace may abound". In reality, Grace is not unconditional.

Grace is generally defined as "Gods mercy extended toward undeserving man", however, there is a condition, this mercy is extended to those who come to God through the Blood of Jesus, and no other means. Grace is extended to those who humble themselves and REPENT of their sin. But for those who continue in sin, even if they have been saved, they will not be given grace unless and until they repent of whatever they are doing.

Whysoblind...Whysoblind...Whysoblind...The definition of grace is..."Unmeritted favor". The humility is the honest evaluation of my spiritual condition...I don't deserve the gift of grace. The James passage says that even after the grace of salvation there is more that He is willing to bless us with in our new life. He is willing to give it in increments based on humility. The more we surrender the more he is willing to give us as we see our poverty and our inability to deserve it. He is blessing a condition of the heart and not merit.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3NKJV

Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4NKJV

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6NKJV

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Matthew 5:8NKJV

Edited March 8, 2006 by David from New Bern

[His Ambassador]

I think sometimes we just confuse ourselves when we cut up into little theological pieces what it is God has done for us through Jesus Christ. There's nothing really complicated about it. Praise God!

[Bolts]

Such amazing grace

how very sweet the sound

that saved wretches like us

we were once lost

but now are found

we were once blind

but now we see

[branchesofHim]

Grace .....

Ever had a time when you couldn't pay your car insurance on time?

The policy was up. You were without coverage.

But there is a "grace" clause in most policies that gives you a certain number of days to make your payment and your insurance will continue to cover you until that particular date is met with payment. Otherwise if payment is not met, then your coverage will terminate at some point.

We can never "pay" for the grace of God of course. Jesus already paid for it. It's simply up to us to receive it before the the law and it's punishment comes due in our lives. If we don't receive grace in time, we will lose the coverage.

The point is that indeed grace in "unmerited favor". Agreed.

Ephesians 2

8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Romans 6

11: Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13: Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

14: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15: What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

16: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

17: But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

18: Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

19: I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

20: For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21: What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

Everything has a "context". And true we cannot use grace as a license to willfully sin. If we do then there will be consequences based the law of sin and death. Although grace supercedes the law of sin and death, it doesn't nullify it. Once we step out of grace, the law is still in full force in the earth. Without it how would anyone know sin? And the law is to expose our sin to bring us to Christ so that we may receive grace to pursue godliness. Repentance is a "given" principle for the believer in Jesus. That is foundational.

(Isn't that what Paul said?)

Did Jesus show grace to those who crucified Him? Yes. He prayed, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." Does that mean they were able to receive grace for salvation once they acknowledged their sin and repented? Paul received that same grace didn't He on the road to Damascus? Paul was very clear about repentance going hand in hand with grace. Agreed.

(Is the glass half full or half empty? ....... Perception based on individuality.)

Peace.

[jenni211]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone....

The author of the book that I read (Phillip Yancy) Talked about the fact that Grace is supposed to be a life style, not just a one time thing. He also talked about the fact that "grace is Not a liscence to sin". If we approach God with the thought that because of grace we can get away with anything, we do not truely understand what grace is.

"If we truely understand what Christ has done for us, then surely out of gratitude we will strive to live 'worthy' of such great love. We will strive for holiness not to make God love us more, but because He already does."

I personally believe that if you understand grace, you don't ask where the line is so you can see how close you can get. But to see how far away from the line you can possibly run.

Jennifer

[David from New Bern]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone....

The author of the book that I read (Phillip Yancy) Talked about the fact that Grace is supposed to be a life style, not just a one time thing. He also talked about the fact that "grace is Not a liscence to sin". If we approach God with the thought that because of grace we can get away with anything, we do not truely understand what grace is.

"If we truely understand what Christ has done for us, then surely out of gratitude we will strive to live 'worthy' of such great love. We will strive for holiness not to make God love us more, but because He already does."

I personally believe that if you understand grace, you don't ask where the line is so you can see how close you can get. But to see how far away from the line you can possibly run.

Jennifer

Amen, sister...thank you for your thoughts. If you are looking for a good book to read that will challenge you in the same area...read John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life . He rejoices in the grace walk but helps us understand why grace was offered to us. He will help you find where works fit into your life without distorting the idea of grace. This something that a lot of people err in understanding. They exaggerate grace or exaggerate works but they can both coexist in the mind and performance of a believer. I'm not earning my salvation but I'm bringing glory to God by denying myself and taking up my cross and following Him. This book will fuel a growth in you that will bring joy to your life. You will read and understand the Bible command to lose your life so you might live.