GRACE: Gods Riches At Christ's Expense...

  Eph 2:8  "For by Grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

   Through the years I have had great conversations with believers of the Christian faith about Grace and how it has impacted their lives. Many times the conversation will lead to each of us trying to describe Grace. Somewhere along the way the old stand by's come out "Grace is a gift of God" or "Grace is unmerited favor". This is true, but these old stand by's do not carry any "weight". To tell me that Grace is from God...is not a definition of Grace...it is simply telling me (where) Grace came from. To tell me that it cannot be earned, is not a definition...it is simply telling me that Grace is outside my capacity to deserve. Why is all this important? Well, I was just thinking that if Grace is so important to us; then shouldn't it be important enough to meditate on? Truly ponder? Then be able to express it in such a way that others might not only want to experience it, but develop a convicting need for it! Of course! This is what being a Christian is all about...to tell of His mercy, to tell of His GRACE!

   God is always a great beginning point. So let's start with God. What word crosses your mind when asked to describe God? Ultimately, every awesome, miraculous, incredible, wonderful word we can think of...will be taken to it's extreme and eventually find itself tied into the word "Holy". God says of Himself...."for I AM HOLY". I find no better word to describe God, then to use the very words of God while He was describing Himself to Moses. "Be Holy, for I AM HOLY". I love it...God did not say..."Hey Moses, be good, because I am really, really good". God did not say, "Hey Moses,be awesome, because I AM awesome". No...God Is Holy, and that is a completely different category than any other word. Because God is in a league of His own and all others fail in comparison. In fact, it is not enough to say that "all fall short of the glory of God".  It should be brought to light that we not only fall short, but we are so astronomically far away from being like God...that it is utterly shameful. Now we are on our way to understanding Grace...God is HOLY!

   Now let's talk about the receiver of Grace. It is an uncomfortable mirror to look into, but the 10 commandments expose humanity's immorality that plagues his day to day life. We cannot even keep the first commandment..."love the Lord they God with all they heart". I'm embarrassed to say, that as much as I love my Jesus, I do not love Him with ALL my heart. Under the light of Gods Holy scrutiny, He examines my heart, my mind, my soul and finds that as a child of God I am in the need of Grace and I am glad that Jesus blood washes me clean of where I fail to meet the standard of even the first commandment. So I will not even talk about the others. Can you see yourself in this paragraph? Can you see your desperate need for Gods Grace even at this moment? Can you feel the part of you that wants to justify why we can't love God with all our heart? Many want to say..."well, we are just human", "that's how it is". Oh how sinful we are, even if we are born again. Remember: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But I needed to speak in such a way that we got the point.

   Lastly, if we are going to understand Grace; we must not try and understand it in our present state. We must try to reflect on it in our "past" condition. The bible states that prior to salvation, we were enemies of God. We were hostile in our minds towards Him. Many will try to refute this as individuals and tell me that they never considered God an enemy and was never hostile towards Him. This is not the point, the point is not what "we think". What is important is what Gods Holy Word says. Many of us believe in the Word of God, we just don't let the Word of God change our mind in what we believe about ourselves. This can only be done through careful consideration of Scripture, for it is the power of God unto salvation. Prior to Grace: man is completely inadequate, he is utterly lost, he is a wretch, he is in darkness, he is as a manipulator, he is a bloody rag, he is a child of the devil. This is Gods Word, that came from Gods mind, that is Gods Truth...about humanity. I heard it once said, "it must be humiliating to be saved by Grace". She obviously was not a Christian, but nailed the point I am trying to make very well. It is not only humbling, but it is humiliating to be exposed.

  This biblical picture of man's condition reveals how how grossly different we are then God and our need for Grace. I don't think we truly understand Grace, until we reflect on how desperate in need of it we truly were prior to God apprehending us! It was not just a gift given to people who were suffering from an incurable disease. It was a gift given from our Holy, Righteous, Just, and Sovereign God; to a hateful, hostile enemy that scoffed Him, beat Him, stripped Him, punched Him...and then crucified Him. Grace, is the condition of Humanity through Gods eyes...and still deciding to be kind to us anyways, reaching out to us, changing us, apprehending us, and loving us! This is Grace, to love the unlovable! I hope this lesson was not too harsh. Sometimes the Grace of God is the Truth of God...we don't often get to hear it in this world any longer. It's something I've been missing...it helps me stay grateful. May you walk in love, may you live in love and may you give the Grace you have received from God. God Riches At Christs Expense! I hope this have helped you as you ponder those who have disappointed you, hurt you.............May you Grow with Grace...

Growth...it only comes from God!

Gen_2:9  And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; 

   The bible makes it clear..."God is the creator". But what what is simple to understand is often hard to apply to our own lives. I hope to help with that, take a look at the verse again: "Lord God made every tree to grow". Who made the tree to grow? God! So God was not only the creator of the tree, but is also the one who gives the Growth? God! This is the primary foundation to "living in Gods Grace". Growth comes from God! If it comes from God, we cannot give it to ourselves. 

  With this foundational truth, we are now equipped for the growth process.As His creatures we were always suppose to depend on God, trust in God to "Provide". Yes, even for our growth. Depending on God, trusting in God,...is the only place where we will ever find the hope, healing, peace, and "growth" that we are looking for so desperately. Living this way places us in a humble position of submission under our Creator to provide the resources we need for LIFE. Notice: what God grows in this verse, is "pleasant to the sight". This means that what God grows, is pleasing to Him; because it is a reflection of His own handiwork. 

   Now lets put all this together. #1. God Provides the Growth Growth.  #2. What God Grows...is Pleasing to Him.  Lastly is # 3. What God Grows.....is "Good for food".  Meaning that if you have truly been growing "Biblically", then your life has resulted in a such a way that you are providing "food" for others. Notice the tree was not only pleasing to look at, but that tree was "good for food". Meaning what God grows, God has intentions for, and what God intends...is that your life affects/feeds others for His glory! You and I have been grown in such a way that we would notice a person who is starving...and not pass him by. That we might give him/her just a taste of "living bread" that might awaken his spirit to the curiosity of knowing Jesus Christ.
   Now:
A. Acknowledge God as your Creator and Provider.
B. Confess Thanks for His Provision already in your years past. (Spiritual, mental, financial, relationships)
C. Confess Faith for His Provision in your future. (this pleases God to trust God)
D. Ask God to prepare your life...to grow your life...to provide the fruit that will feed generations to come.