Understanding Grace from the Bible

[Rober H]

God's free gift of salvation (grace) is simple enough to grasp and understand for me now and yet for the first 43 years of my life I couldn't comprehend it.

The idea that I couldn't contribute to the salvation process was an alien concept to me. There were many factors early in my life that contributed to my blindness in seeing with spiritual eyes the wonder of God's loving sacrifice and gift to us. I am sure many of you went through or are going through a similar process.

Before I understood this concept Christian people appeared to me to be living in a fantasy. I used to judge them and think they were preaching license to sin and using the bible as a crutch to delude themselves into thinking they a free pass into heaven.

I know better now.

Salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it nor merit it. We cannot boast about earning our salvation. Epesians 2: 8-9

I had no clue as to what Paul was talking about in the following verses at one time. I am happy to say I grasp them now.

Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

Romans 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Romans 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

I was blind to understanding what Paul was leading up to in these verses until the "penny dropped" and I could see.

When many of us sing that great hymn "Amazing Grace" we have to wipe tears of joy from our eyes over the wonder of God's love.

I bet there are some fantastic testimonies and experiences people could share on how they came to understand the most simple yet hard to grasp (for many of us anyway) concept in the bible. The concept of grace (unmerited favor)

When I was first saved my pastor gave me an acronym that may be common to most of you G-R-A-C-E "God's Riches at Christ's Expense".

Please. This is an open forum and I cannot control what others post in this thread.

I am asking that only Christians who believe that they are saved because of grace through faith post here.

When did you first grasp God's grace and what "opened your eyes" to understand the most amazing concept in the bible?

[kittylover0991]

God's free gift of salvation (grace) is simple enough to grasp and understand for me now and yet for the first 43 years of my life I couldn't comprehend it.

The idea that I couldn't contribute to the salvation process was an alien concept to me. There were many factors early in my life that contributed to my blindness in seeing with spiritual eyes the wonder of God's loving sacrifice and gift to us. I am sure many of you went through or are going through a similar process.

Before I understood this concept Christian people appeared to me to be living in a fantasy. I used to judge them and think they were preaching license to sin and using the bible as a crutch to delude themselves into thinking they a free pass into heaven.

I know better now.

Salvation is a free gift. We cannot earn it nor merit it. We cannot boast about earning our salvation. Epesians 2: 8-9

I had no clue as to what Paul was talking about in the following verses at one time. I am happy to say I grasp them now.

Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

Romans 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Romans 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

I was blind to understanding what Paul was leading up to in these verses until the "penny dropped" and I could see.

When many of us sing that great hymn "Amazing Grace" we have to wipe tears of joy from our eyes over the wonder of God's love.

I bet there are some fantastic testimonies and experiences people could share on how they came to understand the most simple yet hard to grasp (for many of us anyway) concept in the bible. The concept of grace (unmerited favor)

When I was first saved my pastor gave me an acronym that may be common to most of you G-R-A-C-E "God's Riches at Christ's Expense".

Please. This is an open forum and I cannot control what others post in this thread.

I am asking that only Christians who believe that they are saved because of grace through faith post here.

When did you first grasp God's grace and what "opened your eyes" to understand the most amazing concept in the bible?

Hey Rober.... what an amazing post... *wiping tears from eyes*

I can only praise the Lord for your salvation, and that you found out what true grace is How amazing and magnificent.. his power and love is one that is very hard to explain or even grasp the slightest bit of true understanding. No, my testimony of salvation doesnt' involved being taken away from any sort of drugs such as drinking or being freed from a particular kind of lifestyle because I was only eight years old when the process started... many on here have heard it at least a thousand times, but I just love to share it

When I was in the second grade, I can still recall looking up at the skylight(strange window at the top, we were in a new building) and wondering "Is there really a god. Is he even real? If so, where is he? Can I talk to him?". Well, I went out to recess that day and little red head girl came up to me and said, "Hey, ya wanna be my friend?" "Sure!!!" so we became realy good friends from that day forward. Well, only a few days later, I didn't see her at recess anymore and I was afraid that I had just lost a really good friend, however, that afternoon, she appeared right across the street from me. Turns out her parents were military too and just moved into that other half circle of military housing. My dad went over to meet her parents, and then my dad went off to TDY for a bit a few days later. Well, come a Monday afternoon, my friend, Demarus, asked me if I had ever heard of VBS... "what???" .... "VBS". Turns out there was this things called Vacation Bible School where it was a lot of fun.. got candy... sing songs(I love to sing) and just had SO MUCH FUN Well.. my mom thought about it and said alright... From Monday night all the way until Friday, I slept over at her house until my dad came back home.

That Tuesday, I went with her famliy to Vacation Bible School which is where I first heard the salvation message. I tell you, that man that was preaching came out in a space suit... his name was Pastor Neff Well, I still recall when I raised my hand after the message(although I don't remember the message), and lady came to me and said(I think I heard this wrong), "What did you do?" and I said in a crying voice, "I took the nachos when my mom told me not to".. did that right that morning too Anyways, the lady took us to a particular room, that I now know as "Room 6" and she asked us questions about Jesus... if we knew that we were sinners... that Jesus died on the cross for us... and a few other things... but I knew that day ... after saying a prayer... that I was going to heaven...

Well, at that point, either I didnt' understand the concept of that I was now saved and didnt have to keep going back,I kept going forward to say "that prayer" (not, it ain't the prayer that saves you), and I recall another time in the 3-4th grade class with my Junior church teacher and i remember that one vividly as well. However, a few years later, I was doubting my salvation... and I mean to the point of crying... well, I went to a couple different people who I knew really well, and they gave me some odd answers that I didn't understand until about a year ago(such as "fruit" and "sin in your life"), until I finally went to my sunday school teacher where he went through "that prayer" with me one more time after he said, "Do you want to get it taken care of right now?". It led to some massive confusion for me in my life, but it all worked out in the end.

I can't really tell you when I got saved... although... after this post.. I am figuring that I maybe I did get saved back in VBS or maybe not until Junior Church that day.. but I went forward for assurance of salvation in August three years ago for whatever reason.... I got baptised in 1999 so I was highly confused abotu wether or not I needed to get baptised again... that led to even more confusion as to if I even understood what baptism was all about... I don't know...

But, the one thing I do know, is that I am saved and on my way to heaven because Jesus died on the cross for me. Last year, during VBS, it was on a Thursday, the Lord gave me the privaledge of leading a little girl to the Lord. God is just so good. Actually, dealing with that little girl, turns out her church taugth that you hvae to keep going forward for salvation so when I showed her something telling her you can't loose your salvation, it was teh first time she had actually paid attention to what I was saying(didn't know this until after VBS). Maybe she didnt get saved that day, and I dont' mean to confuse her blessed heart, but I gave her a bible the next day with some candy for her and her brother I can only pray that everything is well with her now

Crystal

[Rober H]

Crystal,

Thanks for sharing your story. I have met many over the years that have gone through a similar journey as yours. They found God at a very young age and went to church. Many of them like you didn't grasp the free gift of salvation for many years. They repented of sin and believed that Christ died for their sins but would go forward at every revival meeting or crusade they attended and were never sure of their salvation.They couldn't quite believe or understand that when God saves you and gives you a gift it is truly yours and that this gift cannot be earned or merited.

(I know I didn't grasp it)

We all feel too "unworthy" and "ungodly" but that is why we need a saviour. We are unworthy and ungodly.

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Christ died for the ungodly so we all qualify.

Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Thanks for kicking this thread off.

Standing on His word,

Robert

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

[redeemed098]

Hello all,

I've been saved now for 8 years and I'm 42 years of age....I must be honest and say to you all that the penny is STILL dropping....I know Im saved and have the assurance through the Holy Spirit as the deposit guaranteeing the things to come....But I still struggle to grasp the magnitude of Gods grace...How someone so UNworthy would become the recipient of such amazing grace......

Maybe if I had more of a revelation of just HOW MUCH God DOES Love me, I would stop striving to EARN it.......Food for thought from a heart that is REAL with God.

I think striving to earn Gods Love is the first indication that we haven't really grasped how much he DOES love us. I know I'm guilty of it. For a Work in Progress I guess I'm doing OK. I'm thankful that he's not just the AUTHOR of my faith, but the FINISHER also.

Regards,

Ben.

[Brandli5]

I was five when God's Grace saved me. I dreamed of Jesus and woke up and prayed and ask Jesus never to leave me and to forgive me for my sins.

I have since asked him many times to forgive me for my sins, and shortcomings. He has. I praise him for that.

When we sing or read bible verses and the Holy spirit is there yes, there are tears. BUt not of sadness.

They are tears of joy, pure Joy. Knowing that Jesus is there to take all my troubles away. Even if its for a bit.

He can and he asks us to give our problems to him.

We are not to worry. I used to do that before I knew I could give all my worries to the lord.

See, even though I was christain long ago, it takes a lifetime to learn about God.

We have to read his word to find more and more Good nuggets of his grace in our lives.

THe more we read, the more we learn.

God is Grace, and love. HE is very giving.

Read and pray and learn more and more each time.

[tah]

.......

Before I understood this concept Christian people appeared to me to be living in a fantasy. I used to judge them and think they were preaching license to sin and using the bible as a crutch to delude themselves into thinking they a free pass into heaven.

......

When did you first grasp God's grace and what "opened your eyes" to understand the most amazing concept in the bible?

I have never felt that way about Christians....

I became a Christian as a child about 5....

if I saw a Christian in sin I knew they were not following the teachings of Christ..

No Christian ever has license to sin...

if we sin we repent or we are held accountable for that sin...

Rom 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Rom 6:16 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?

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

that chastening is not necessary if we are not sinning...

and the very name Christian to me means "Christ saved them through repentance of their sins.."

You cannot be a Christian without repentance...Christ is that "ticket" and He paid the price...

I have in the past been sorry for my sin and not repented and that brings down the chastisement in Heb..

God has been faithful to me to not let me get away with just being sorry but causing me to come to repentance..

I do not remember the events that led up to that day but I remember the day....

I was visiting some friends and we were talking about forgiveness and it just struck my heart at that moment the great salvation through Christ Jesus..

When I saw ,the first time, that great salvation in the depths of my heart , I just about fell on my face in sheer awe that God was so merciful ....

His forgiveness just about takes my breath away because He is so good to us to forgive us when we repent..

Yes we are saved by grace through faith....Amazing Grace....

One of my favorite Scriptures...

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

[xyzisme]

I never thought about the concept of Grace before, I have always considered it love. When I was a child and I watched the TV and saw Jesus being crucified for the first time I remember crying. There is a certain understanding at that moment that he is doing that for you, because of you. His love for us is so obvious, and that God would give him to us, that is love, he let his son do this thing because he loved us. I guess for me there is no difference between grace and love. I know that when my kids make me mad, I still give them ice cream, it's because I love them. Grace to me is that part of love that is unconditional, we love no matter what they did, we still help them, we still want the best for them, we still feed them and take care of their needs. Isn't that what he did, he still loved us when he sent his son to help us be forgiven. Only he loved us despite all the things we were doing that we would have stopped loving each other for. Jesus paid the debt for our sins, he didn't have to, and God didn't have to send him, but out of this special and perfect love for us he has, he was able to cut us a break, even when we didn't deserve it. Like when a parent goes and pays for his kid to take summer school, because he failed and blew off the school year. He really didn't earn this second chance at not failing, but we give it to him anyway, because we love him and want to see him happy and succeed. His love is special, it doesn't fail, it is truely perfect and unconditional, that's the grace we have.

[treasured]

When I think of God's grace I think of when it "REALLY" sunk into my very being God loves me. That was a hard concept having lived in rejection (mother said she 'wanted me, because Dad wanted a girl, BUT didn't know what to do with me when she got me'...I was the only girl with 4 brothers). The only good memory of her "with" me was her teaching me to pray in preperation of my first communion, when I asked Christ into my heart...which I know He honored that prayer...I have always known Him to be here since then. I was raped at 14 by a carload of drunks which dissolved my dreams of becoming a nun.(Just found this out this year in a diet counseling session...a repressed life changing memory that the Lord blocked until I was able to examine it...what love! ).. I went through a 4-month marriage of beatings (which I thought was my fault again rejection). All this time I was searching...always having a love for God, but knew there was more. Got into a well-known cult...searching. Married a man that was on the rebound and knew I "wasn't first choice"..searching! Had four lovely children...searching. During a visit (after 10 years and 4 babies) to my in-laws (that never liked my marrying my husband ),they called his former girlfriend to tell her we were there. She came to the driveway and called from the car for him (which he never responded..thank God). My heart was tearing...I asked 'When will they accept me?'..I went to bed that night asking the Lord "Why?".... He spoke to my heart and said I was a Leah..not my husbands first choice, but the one that he 'would grow to love me most'. I slept soundly! And when I awoke I was humming a song..."Oh,How I Love Jesus"...Then I started singing it....Then in a gigantic wave of love and understanding it hit me with these words : "BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED ME " ...He loved Me!!!...He loves Me!!!..He loved me FIRST !...I was to Him FIRST CHOICE!!! not second..When I read of His grace I KNOW, when I hear of His love I KNOW..!! From then on it has been "No matter WHAT may come, I KNOW the love of God"......I am "Treasured"

Thanks Robert...now I know why I chose that ID....Isn't He Wonderful!!??

Treasured

[damar91]

Hi guys, my name is David and I saw this thread and felt led to share this. Once that a Christ follower realizes that everything is about God's Grace and His love for us, everything comes in much clearer. He gives us Grace for free, no amount of work we do can earn that. Sometimes though I think we as Christ followers miss the point. It is ALL about His Grace and love and the relationship that He wants to have with us. I just got back from taking my youth group to Americamp in Bradenton, Fla. It was the experience of a lifetime and that was a big part of the camp. It's not as much about realizing how much we love God, but when you finally come to grips with how much God loves you, then you truly begin your way to understanding His purpose.

God Bless,

David

[Rober H]

A milestone in understanding grace came sitting in my living room in 1993 reading the bible. I was reading Psalm 51 when I realized that God is the one we have sinned against and it is God who will clean us. The mist was starting to lift.

Psalms 51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Only God can blot out our sins.

Psalms 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

David didn't say Lord I am going to "clean up my act" he asked God to wash and cleanse him.

Psalms 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

David acknowledged his sinfulness and made no excuses.

Psalms 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

David knew that it was God and only God who could wash away his iniquities.

Psalms 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

I actually wept when I read this psalm. I can't put into words what happened to me that day. I was beginning to grasp what grace was.

Today we are washed completely from sin by the blood of Christ. His shed blood on the cross makes us clean.

"What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus."

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Isn't that "good news"?

Edited June 15, 2006 by Rober H