Lately I have been thinking about grace. It’s a powerful word in and of itself, but it takes on an indescribable power when attached to the name “Almighty God.” The grace of the Almighty God.
Wow. That’s an idea that I have a hard time taking in sometimes.
Let’s think about it, shall we? The Almighty is perfect and tells us to imitate Himself, but we fall pathetically short and miss the bar for perfect… every single one of us. Yet, this Almighty God, instead of leaving us to rot in our brokenness, imperfection, distance from Himself, and sin, instead offers a pardon to His messed-up creations. God makes a way to reconciliation; Jesus. And through Him, He offers grace.
And this special grace is given, not by some larger than life spiritual genie, but by God Himself, taking on flesh, and showing us in His own life and sacrifice, what grace means. Jesus showed us the cost, the value, and the power that the forgiveness of sins and offer of undeserved eternal abundant life with God had. He showed us what grace was when He saved the woman caught in adultery, and instead told her to “go and sin no more.” He showed what grace looked like when He healed an untold number of ill and disabled. He showed us what grace looked like when He died on the cross and rose to life. And, today, He shows us still what grace looks like, when He continues to forgive our brokenness, continues to sustain us, and continues to mold us into His likeness.
Each day, each breath, each moment we live is an act of a gracious God to a broken and undeserving people. Each day, each breath, and each moment we live, now has meaning because of what a gracious God has done for a broken and undeserving people… His people; His children whom He loves.
Brothers and sisters, as we are reminded of God’s great grace today, I want to urge you to consider 2 things:
- We are never too far gone from God, too washed in sin, or too broken to receive the gift of grace from the Father. He stands ready, with open arms, to embrace us as we run, repentant, to His gracious embrace. Now is the best time to start again. Let’s turn from our sin, let’s run to the Father, and let’s find joy and peace and we trust His gift of grace to wash over us, to wash away our sin, to wash us with peace, and to wash our slate clean, as we stand pure, ready to serve Him.
- Let us also remember that we get to a very dangerous place when we think someone need grace more than we do; when we think someone needs the cross of Jesus Christ, His blood, and His forgiveness, more than we do. Romans 3:23 reminds us that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. So, when we see a fellow believer, or an unbeliever for that matter, in need of grace, let us see a reflect of ourselves, past, present, and future, knowing that our need for grace is strong too.
May you remember today, that you are loved, and that grace abounds, offered to all. Amen.
Laura Dilley
Associate Pastor
