By the Grace of God

1 Corinthians 15:10a “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.”

 

A word “grace” is defined as 1. Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him. 2. Favorable influence of God; divine influence or the influence of the spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining from sin. 3. The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner. 4. A state of reconciliation to God. 5. Virtuous or religious affection or disposition, as a liberal disposition, faith, meekness, humility, patience, & proceeding from divine influence. 6. Spiritual instruction, improvement and edification. 7. Apostleship, or the qualifications of an apostle. 8. Eternal life; final salvation. 9. Favor; mercy; pardon. Think about these definitions and how God's grace impacts your life.

 

Love and mercy are natural attributes of God of which flows the grace of God towards up. John 3:16 tells us,“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Ephesians 2:1-9 explains, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

 

Romans 5:8 proclaims, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Why did God have to send Jesus to die in our place and the sins of the world? Romans 6:23 explains, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” and this by the grace of God. The human race is dead in their wicked inequities, transgressions, trespasses, and sins, justly destined to spend eternity in Hell separated from God with absolutely no way to escape on our own. God did not have to provide any way of escape, but by the grace of God, He did provide one way. There is an old story that a deeply religious individual once saw a man being led to the gallows and said: “There but for the grace of God, go I.” That is why 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

 

This is why the English poet and Anglican clergyman John Newton in 1772 wrote and published in 1779 the Christian hymn “Amazing Grace” saying, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.” Understanding being saved by the grace of God, he later wrote: “I am not the man I ought to be, I am not the man I wish to be, and I am not the man I hope to be, but by the grace of God, I am not the man I used to be.” 

 

Blessed in the Holy Spirit, Redeemed in Lord Jesus and saved by the grace of God,

Your brother in Christ, Brian