Tag: ByGrace

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It’s A Gift!

This morning as I sit here, I am replaying in my mind some of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite western movies, Crossfire Trail.

Tom Selleck was cast as the story’s hero, and he had some great one-liners. My favorite – “It’s a gift”.

That line grew so large that it was my only focus. I sat here mulling it over, “Lord, what do you want me to see. What are You saying to me”?

And then it jumped off the page of my Bible:

“ But God has a way to make people right, and it has nothing to do with the law. He has now shown us that new way, which the law and the prophets told us about. 22 God makes people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. He does this for all who believe in Christ. Everyone is the same. 23 All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness. 24 They are made right with God by his grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ. 25-26 God gave Jesus as a way to forgive people’s sins through their faith in him. God can forgive them because the blood sacrifice of Jesus pays for their sins. God gave Jesus to show that he always does what is right and fair. He was right in the past when he was patient and did not punish people for their sins. And in our own time he still does what is right. God worked all this out in a way that allows him to judge people fairly and still make right any person who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26 ERV

It’s a gift!

Our right standing with God – our forgiveness, our salvation, our peace is a gift. It’s nothing we could ever earn, not something we can buy or acquire by our own goodness. It’s a gift.

Recently we were at our granddaughter’s sixth birthday and when it came time to open her gifts, she was reluctant. Everyone was standing around watching and she was self-conscious but once the first gift was opened and she found something she always wanted, she eagerly opened all the others.

Not once did she look at any of us gift-givers and say “Oh, you shouldn’t have. I haven’t been good enough. You need to take this back until I’ve done something to earn it”. That would have been silly and unrealistic. It’s a gift.

She used to childlike faith to accept the gift freely and eagerly and said thank you.

“So do we have any reason to boast about ourselves? No reason at all. And why not? Because we are depending on the way of faith, not on what we have done in following the law.” Romans 3:27 ERV

God’s gift to us should be accepted the same way, with childlike faith. We have no room to boast on our own goodness. We receive right standing with the Father the same way Kristine received her birthday presents – with joy!

If you have felt you needed to be good enough, more pious, or needed to earn your salvation let all of that go and enjoy what Christ has done for you.

It’s a gift!

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“Your Grace”

I am up this morning, listening to the pouring rain on the roof of the RV and watching the lightning flashes illuminate the night sky. But my blog has nothing to do with rain.

Recently I was watching a series where the men would bow and the women would curtsy before royalty. The common greeting at such a time as this was simple. The curtsy preceded these words, “Your Grace”.

“Your Grace”.

A title that distinguished them as the ruling class. A title that identified their authority. A title that indicated their supreme authority to rule.

This ruler has been bestowed with the responsibility to rule. From their lips came words of forgiveness, restoration, acceptance, clemency, a new start. Now that my friend is grace!

Our life in Christ is all about grace. Receiving from the Father what we don’t deserve, receiving what we are unable to obtained on our own merit.

His grace.

The Apostle Paul wrote this: “But the Lord said, ‘My grace is all you need. Only when you are weak can everything be done completely by my power.’ So I will gladly boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can stay in me.” II Corinthians 12:9 ERV

In our weakness, whatever that may be, His grace is all we need. His grace fills our life with the power of Christ. His grace has provided forgiveness, restoration – a new life.

“I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about.” Ephesians 2:8-9 ERV

Grace is a gift – a gift from God. We can’t buy it, we can’t earn it, we don’t deserve it – that’s what makes grace so amazing! It’s a gift given in love.

Those two words, Your Grace, fill my heart with such gratitude!

I hope you will start your day in the presence of the King of Kings, our Father, and humbling bowing or making a curtsy. Then say to Him, “Your Grace is all I need”!

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Dusting Things Off

After being gone for almost five months let me assure you that our house needed a good cleaning when we returned. I can write my name on nearly every piece of furniture and even on the tile floors.

First thing we did was tackle the yard and patio. Dave has been working on cleaning the patio and all that was on it, while I have focused my attention on pruning and trimming the bushes, pulling out flowers that didn’t survive the summer heat and monsoon rains and replanting. Each day has been consumed with getting things spruced up and dusted off.

I see a couple more days of work ahead but I also see that we are making headway.

So, as I sit here this morning, coffee in hand, I am grateful for the dimmed lights in my office because it keeps me from seeing the layers of dust on the desk, bookcase, table and lamps.

I am also grateful that this presents me with an opportunity to reflect on God’s grace.

How many of you know that life can get dusty? We seem to deal with the issues that are most urgent, bringing them to the Lord in prayer, asking Him for help and intervention but there are other “small” things in the corners of our heart that never truly make it to the light of day and it’s these things that the layers of dust build up on. These are the little things that we choose to ignore.

Selfishness, hurt feelings, small outbursts of anger, little exaggerations (white lies), pride, wanting to be recognized for a job well done and the resentment that comes when we aren’t.

The Apostle Paul gave us instruction in half the book of Ephesians on daily living, chapters 4 and 5, teach us to clean up our lives and imitate God in the same way children imitate their parent.

“Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say. 30 Don’t make God’s Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.

31 Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. 32 Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.

1 Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.” Ephesians 4:29-5:2 CEV

Please don’t be condemned by what I’m sharing this morning. The Father loves us and His word is never meant to condemn but it does correct. Sometimes we need a reminder of how we are to act.

If we let love be our guide and do as our Father does, we will see the “dusty” places in our heart and by His grace, He will help us clean them up.

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Grace & Peace

Have you ever found yourself in a place that is noisy and chaotic? A place of constant activity – people and/or vehicles rushing about? Yelling, sirens, loud whistles?

I try to avoid those places at all costs! I long for quiet and serenity. I don’t even like the commercials on TV because they come on louder than the programming I’m watching and it seems like they are yelling at me.

Our home is my place of peace. In fact, when we moved in we named it Casa de Paz, House of Peace!

It’s also a place where we extend grace.

Grace, as defined by Webster, 1a: unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification b: a virtue coming from God c: a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance 2a: APPROVAL, FAVOR stayed in his good graces barchaic : MERCY, PARDON c: a special favor : PRIVILEGE d: disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency e: a temporary exemption : REPRIEVE

My simple definition of grace is receiving undeserved goodness.

So why am I talking to you about grace and peace?

For the past few days I have felt compelled to read through the Book of Colossians again. Years ago it became one of my favorite books in the New Testament. Paul’s letter tells of God’s wonderful love, forgiveness, grace, peace and authority. I want to share with you some of my thoughts from this book.

“I am writing to you who belong to Christ in the city of Colossae. May all the Christian brothers there have loving-favor and peace from God our Father.” Colossians 1:2 NLV

The terms loving-favor and kindness are also translations of the word grace.

Paul immediately identifies our relationship with God. When we accept the gift of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ we are adopted by our loving Father, God. He wants the best for us and that starts with Him showering us with grace; loving-favor and kindness.

I see the Father embracing us.

I imagine the outpouring of His love is something like what Dave and I do when the grandkids come to visit, only greater. We meet them on the driveway, help them out of the car and the first thing we do is hug and kiss them. (Their parents also) We mix in a couple of tickles too. Then we take them into the house and show them the special surprises and treats we have planned for them.

Loving-favor.

There have been a couple occasions when these same grandkids have awaken in the night crying, uncertain of where they are or just a little frightened by something. Immediately, we are there. Sshing their fears, kissing their heads and telling them everything will be ok. We create an atmosphere of peace.

This is what God, our Father, does for us. This and so much more is what we receive from Him. Paul wrote thirteen letters to new Christians in the New Testament. Each one of them brings a message of grace and peace. God wants all of His children to know His goodness!

I want everyone to know it too. I pray that you will experience the Father’s kindness and His peace today.


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