I have a friend that said: :Mercy is not getting what we deserve, and grace is getting what we don't deserve; I'll take both." I like that, but it still makes grace a verb, when the work of Jesus Christ is really a know. How can that be? Well, John said that God is love, and I would submit to you that he is also grace. His person is pure grace, pure love, and pure peace.
When we connect with the love of God by faith, we become capable of being his love to others. It is the same with grace and peace. We don't extend anyone unmerited favor, we allow the person of Christ to work through us.
As we release the Spirit, the new man becomes Jesus to those in our lives; in fact we are meant to be overflowing with it!
Here is how I got there. Jesus was 100% man, while he was 100% God; it is possible for God to be many things at one time. His attributes and names number well over 600 in the Bible. He is a lot things, but the most important is alive. As he lives eternally, the ebb and flow of the Kingdom of God is consuming souls for eternity! He is constantly at work regenerating men and woman of faith.
Grace is one of those eternal persons of Christ. It is alive. It has a manifest presence just as his love does, and by faith we can feel it. And he can wrap his arms around us, and live in us!
We often talk about grace as though it is legal transaction, but it is so much more than that. Grace is the fullness of Christ in us! It is the new man, it is not help to fix the old man.
How about you, how has grace changed your life?
4 comments:
I've loved your last two posts on grace, makes me wish you were teaching your school of grace closer for me to participate.
I'm embarrassed to admit it but I don't really know how to define grace and what it means (kinda like glory). For sure I use these words, because I'm always ready to have an answer, that's Biblical - you know ;) but the full impact seems lacking.
Even though I may not fully explain or understand grace, I know its effect. I am a new creation - a Saint - the old man is dead. I loved what you said at the end. I don't need to fix my old man; I don't need counselling to try to cope with my old man, I am a new creation.
His attributes and names number well over 600 in the Bible. He is a lot things, but the most important is alive.
Just had to stop and take a deep breath on that one...Awesome!
@Arny's light - I agree, I had to tweet that one. It's too good not for others to take a moment and breathe that in.
His grace has changed much in my life. It is hard to put it in plain words.
Now I feel I am being led in a new direction even at my age and doing battle with a serious health issue makes no difference. God's grace has saved me again in order to serve Him.
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