God bestows his grace, and we must accept

The definition of the word grace in Webster’s Dictionary is unmerited help or favor given to people by God, as in overcoming temptation and freedom from sin.

This victory over temptation and sin is possible through divine grace. It is this divine influence upon the heart of a person that will be reflected in their life. Grace is a virtue. It is a virtue that provides us with a strength and active power to accomplish a given effect. It helps us to conform to a standard of right and moral excellence.

God’s grace will enable us to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to him. This precious gift of grace brings with it a deep comfort and assurance that no matter what has happened in the past or what may happen in the future, God has made a way for mankind through accepted grace.

Notice the word “accepted.” We have been given a gift, which can remain unopened if not accepted. Accepted means we receive it, we open the package to see what is inside. Otherwise, we will never know or truly understand what it is that we really have.

When we read the Epistles, the apostle Paul begins his address to the church with similar words. He says, “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

These words are found in the beginning of each of Paul’s writings, except for his letter in the book of Hebrews. His closing to each of these letters is much the same and he says, “May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” This word was used as a salutation and a way of greeting one another of like faith. It was also used as a way of saying goodbye. Paul understood the need for grace and wanted us to recognize our need for it.

Throughout his life, he leaned upon the grace of God to afford him the strength needed to accomplish the task laid before him. As Paul walked out his life preaching the Gospel he endured much. He was imprisoned, beaten and shipwrecked. He spent many sleepless nights in hunger, thirst and exposed to the elements. He faced bad times, but he experienced joy, peace and a sense of accomplishment brought on by his obedience to the Lord and the spiritual growth of those to whom he ministered. Through it all, Paul relied upon the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ for every situation of life.

We have received salvation through grace for the Scripture says in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works, lest any man should boast.” We are the recipients of this grace that affords us the right to have a relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is unattainable any other way. We cannot earn salvation because it is a free gift bestowed upon us by a gracious God. No one can take any credit for this gift; it is a work originating from the Lord and brought to completion by Him alone. God paid a debt he didn’t owe, because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. That’s grace.

Having received and accepted this gift, our second step must be to walk in grace. To walk in grace is to walk with a forgiving heart and spirit. It is to look at others through the eyes of Christ and show his forgiveness. It can be very difficult for someone who has been wounded, to once again trust and forgive.

If you are experiencing difficulty in extending forgiveness I would challenge you to take your eyes off of the anger and the hurt that is in your life and look to heaven. God will give you the strength you need. Our Savior walked in grace and set forth our example. Throughout the Gospels Jesus extended grace and forgiveness to those who came to Him. In Luke 23:34, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” He walked in Grace, even at His most desperate and painful hour, this grace was extended to the thief who hung on the cross next to him. Jesus spoke to him saying, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

We have received grace, we are to walk in grace and lastly, we are to grow in grace. Second Peter 3:18 reads, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” How do we grow in grace? We must make the choice to obey the word of God. By doing so, our knowledge of the Lord will increase. With the help of the Holy Spirit, our life can be a living example of the grace of God. As we study God’s word, pray and fellowship with the Lord and others of like precious faith, we will continue to grow in grace. Growing in grace is recognizing our need for the Lord in our life and his grace extended to us by the finished work on the cross. Then we will be able to walk in grace and impart that received grace into the lives of others.

XPatty Scahill of Struthers, who is a teacher, preacher, conference speaker and author, attends Christian Life Church in Canfield. A former women’s director of Teen Challenge in Youngstown, she is working on her second book, “The Wilderness Journey.”