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Thoughts on Grace

John 1:14 says of Jesus, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

These thoughts will require honest self-examination and a teachable spirit. They will require prayer and contemplation. Do you know and live a life of both grace and truth? Perhaps you’ve had years of “truth” but very little on “grace” as I have. Grace is much more than simply saying, “I’m saved by grace.” Grace changes our thoughts, attitudes, actions, and words. Many hear the word grace today (which is used 131 times in the New Testament) and immediately connect it to “license” to sin. That’s sad. When understood, grace has the opposite affect in our lives. It boasts in the finished work of Christ. The doctrine of grace has changed my life for the better. It has changed my relationships for the better. It has drawn me to Christ.

I see now that my Christian life was once isolated. I lived in a self made box that was so small and ineffective—one that ministered only to those who were just like me! I rested in years of receiving the accolades of like-minded peers for conforming to an outward appearance of righteousness and to a list of man made accepted behavior standards. I accepted this as the new norm and encouraged others to enter in to the same joyless existence. I confess to you that I had accepted the “doctrines of men” as doctrines of Christ. As a result, I pushed others away who were not like me. Oh, I was gracious about it but ignorantly resolved and blindly stubborn to stand firm in my crumbling system. I did not really love Jesus Christ and did not truly trust Him to work in my life and in the life of my family and friends. As a result, I did not genuinely love others. Tragically, I have some well intentioned friends who have turned solely to truth, ignoring grace, and have become harsh, uncaring, judgmental, and paralyzed in reaching out with the love, grace, and truth of Christ.

I have a desire for others to truly know and understand the Bible doctrine of GRACE and how it affects every area of our life. How it sets us free to love and follow Christ sincerely. How it enables us to love one another without hypocrisy. How it brings about transparency and honesty without the fear of alienation and rejection from our friends. How it crushes a judgmental, holier-than-thou attitude. How it consistently reaches out to others with hope, encouragement, and kindness. How it rests fully in the finished and completed work of Christ.

Grace floods our souls with the unmerited, unearned, and undeserved favor of God which is freely given to each of us through Christ in full and complete measure. Once we understand this great gift we are never the same. We begin living by His grace and showering those around us with Jesus Christ who is full of grace and truth. Will you purpose with me to expand your current understanding of grace? Will you stop judging others who teach the doctrine of grace and stop assuming they have abandoned truth? “Dear Father in Heaven, please help me to know your amazing grace and ways I can share it more effectively in my words and deeds.”