Ah, grace. Wait, what is grace? Does that only come from the Lord? Why do people keep telling me to give myself grace? How does that work? Have I misused or abused the grace given to me? So many questions. Some may read this and think in a straightforward way: whatever the definition of grace is, that is what it means, and that is how it is applied. Black and white, clean and simple. Not so fast. What if there were multiple definitions of grace that we forget to remind ourselves of? Let's start with the definition of grace from the dictionary. Definition #1 of grace accoring to Oxford Languages states, "simple elegance or refinement of movement, " #2 states, "curteous goodwill," #3, "the free and unmerited will of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings, " #4, "a short prayer of thanks said before or after a meal." I'll end the laundry list there, because there are several others. Today I want to hone in on the third definition and how it applies to us as heirs of the kingdom of Heaven.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God..."
Aha, again. Epiphanies everywhere. Did you catch the end of that verse? "It is the gift of God." This grace we have in this life is an extension of God's gift to humanity. Why do we try to earn something that is freely given to us? A root problem I have not only had to unlearn, but also one I believe is an issue for many other believers, is that we try so hard to prove our strength to God. Why do we do this to ourselves? He never asked us to be sufficient in our own strength. His Word clearly states in II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV, "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness,' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Being weak sucks. Trust me, I do not enjoy not reaching the mark. It makes you feel inferior and dependent on something or someone else's strength. The truth of the matter is that not reaching the mark is the whole point. Wait? Huh? God did not create us so that we could be these demi-gods, being completely self-sufficient in only the things we can strive for. God created us as imperfect human beings needing dependency on him from the moment of conception in our mother's womb. If we were worthy of this life, if we were to reach the mark, we would not need Jesus. We would not need to be saved.
In Hebrews 4, it talks about Jesus as our High Priest. Thank you, Jesus, for tearing the veil and creating the new covenant with your shed blood on the cross! In this chapter in Hebrews, it says that Christ was tempted in all matters, just as we are in life. All? Yes, all. If the word of God says it- I believe it. Radical belief? Maybe. Meh, who cares if people think you are radical for Christ? Rather to be in the flame than outside of it. I digress. Christ. Our High Priest. TYJ (Thank You Jesus)! Hebrews 4: 16 NKJV beautifully states, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Nothing could ever qualify you to come before the throne of God. The love of our Heavenly Father has redeemed us and called us worthy to come before Him for anything, and I mean anything at all. He actually desires it. And you will find that the more you draw near to him, He draws near to you! His grace is this beautiful gift that is unraveled in the message of our salvation. And we don't get to discover it once, but Christ allows us to discover the wonder of His mercy and grace every. single. day. of. our. lives. TYJ (again)! I, for one, can testify that when I feel like absolute scum of the earth, His grace beckons me. It knocks on the door of my heart, time and time again. It meets me in the car after work when I am drained to a point of no return mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. It meets me in the morning when I recycle in a sin that I've asked the Lord for forgiveness for one thousand times over. It meets me in a church service when I don't feel worthy to say His name. His grace searches for me and calls my bluff. Over and over and over again, His grace has proven its sufficiency.
So, whether you have never felt worthy of His grace or whether you are experiencing this revelation for the hundredth time, I pray that His grace washes over you as you read this. I pray that His peace that surpasses every ounce of understanding washes over your heart, and it beckons you closer to the heart of God. Above all, I pray that you would experience Christ in a radical way and that it changes you to serve Him and love him more and more each day.
