Good morning,
Our topic this week is God’s grace.
“What is grace? In the New Testament grace means God’s love in action towards men who merited the opposite of love. Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who could not lift a finger to save themselves. Grace means God sending His only Son to descend into hell on the cross so that we guilty ones might be reconciled to God and received into heaven. ‘(God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him’” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“Grace may be defined as the unmerited or undeserving favor of God to those who are under condemnation.”
We will look at four areas of God’s grace. Salvation, people who received God’s grace, what grace gives, and law vs grace.
People who received God’s grace
Esther
“So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.” (Esther 2:16-17)
Paul
“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)
Stephen
“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8)
Everyone
“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:7)
Grace is not for just a special class of people. God gives us the grace we need. He gives it at the right time, in the right amount, to accomplish His purpose.
What a blessing God’s grace is to us. Think about all the times God has been gracious unto us. Then go to Him in prayer and thank Him.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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