To Give Grace

Grace. If there is one word that I want to understand fully it is this one. I have experienced the grace of God, and yet I really do not know what grace is. How can I experience something and not know what it is? I feel like Paul, “I see in a mirror dimly.” With me there is the realization that I fully do not understand the grace and love that God bestows upon me. I am still so blind in so many areas concerning Christ, especially grace. I have looked up definitions of grace, but from the written page they come across coldly. In Vines Expository Dictionary the definition of grace is in part, favorable regard, loving-kindness and goodwill generally. Jesus while we were still at enmity with Him responded with grace. Even now despite the pride, selfishness, condescension, materialism, etc...etc...etc... which still exist within, Jesus treats me graciously. He has a favorable regard, loving-kindness, and goodwill toward me. Amazing. If I truly believe that God is gracious to me, despite myself, why the difficulty in being gracious toward others? Do I have a high regard for the inattentive waitress? Grace. Do I show loving-kindness for my co-worker who insults? Grace. Do I have goodwill generally for the person who may or may not be taking advantage of social services or am I just angry? Grace. Do I have a favorable regard for my supervisor? Grace. Do I show loving-kindness to my wife when we are at odds? Grace. Do I have goodwill generally for the brother or sister in Christ who seems always to hold a different opinion at Church business meetings? Grace. Grace is wonderful and easy to receive but sometimes difficult to give. May we choose to be gracious and pray for the strength.“Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.” Romans 12: 14-17.“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how to respond to each

Unchanging Gracious Loving God

Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13: 8. Since God is the same today as He has always been, God’s character in the Old Testament should match that of the New Testament. It seems that the difference between the Old and New Testaments is one of perspective. The Old focuses more on Israel and God’s dealing with the nations on Israel’s behalf. God protects Israel, from whom will come salvation for all nations and all men, Jesus Christ. The New Testament focuses on Christ life, death, and resurrection. It tells of the spread of the Gospel, the good news, the church. It is concerned with only one kingdom, the Kingdom of God.In the Old Testament the relationships between God and the individuals who trust in Him are lovely. In the book of Genesis, I like the passages where God takes care of women who are in bad situations by no fault of their own. I love the verbs attributed to God. Sarah’s pregnant maidservant, Hagar, runs away. Sarah has become jealous and abusive because of the pregnancy. God is so gracious. In chapter 16 scripture states that God found Hagar, God heard Hagar, God answered Hagar. The Angel of God appeared to Hagar. God’s grace was so great that it gave Hagar strength to do what God wanted her to do, go back and put up with the abuse. Hagar was so amazed that she calls God the “God who sees me!” God was also gracious to Sarah for He fulfilled His promise to her and she in her old age became pregnant with Isaac.Leah and Rachel were sisters married to the same man because of the deceit of their father. Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Scripture states in chapter 29 that God realized Leah was unloved. God opened her womb. God saw her misery. God heard her prayers. God gave her sons. God is so compassionate, He didn’t stop there. In this rivalry both sides felt hurt, both sides felt pain. God was gracious to both. Rachel also had children from her maidservant and then herself. Rachel says of God, “He took my side, He vindicated me, He listened to me, He gave me a son, He remembered me, He rewarded me.” The God of the Old is the God of the New, the same love and the same gracious acts.So Jacob sent word for Rachel and Leah to meet him out in the field where his flocks were. He said, “I notice that your father has changed toward me; he doesn’t treat me the same as before. But the God of my father hasn’t changed; He’s still with me.Genesis 31: 4-5

Prayer In Praise of Christ

Born as a son,led forth as a lamb,
sacrificed as a sheep,buried as a man,
he rose from the dead as a God,
for he was by nature God and man.

He is all things:
he judges, and so he is Law;
he teaches, and so he is Wisdom;
he saves, and so he is Grace;
he begets, and so he is Father;
he is begotten, and so he is Son;
he suffers, and so he is Sacrifice;
he is buried, and so he is man;
he rises again, and so he is God;

This is Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs glory for all ages.

Written by Saint Melito of Sardis

Definition 3

Grace- The experience of living in the love and the power of Jesus Christ.

"The power of Christ will become a permanent reality in your heart when the Christ of power becomes a permanent resident in your heart."