Saturday Motivation: Amazing Grace!
Saturday Motivation! Amazing Grace!
Text: Romans 5 v 1-2: Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God!
What Is Grace?
Grace means simple elegance or refinement of movement. It also means courteous goodwill.
Grace is unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification.
Grace is a state of satisfaction enjoyed through divine assistance.
Grace is poise, elegance, forgiveness or a blessing.
Spiritually, grace means receiving something from someone and passing it on until the environment around us changes.
Grace is love that is bestowed on us when we have nothing to give in return. Grace is the love that we enjoy when we have not done anything to deserve it.
Grace is love that has nothing to do with the receiver but it has everything to do with the giver.
Grace is a one way love. It is to be loved when you are unlovable.
Grace is irrational. It does not care about values, qualities or gifts.
Grace does not play by any rules of fairness or reciprocity.
Grace does not play by the rules of karma. It defies reason and logic.
Grace transforms our desires, behaviors and motivations.
Grace is spiritual gift that involves love and mercy given to others even when we feel that they do not deserve it.
There is no place that grace cannot go. No person that it cannot reach.
What Is Grace According To Scriptures?
Grace according to scriptures is God’s Riches At Christ`s Expense. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call.
Grace is God’s love in action towards men who merited the opposite of love.
Grace is the love of God shown to the unlovely, the peace of God given to the restless and the helpless.
Divine grace is the divine influence which operates in humans to generate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses and impart strength for enduring trial and resist temptation.
Grace is a gift of God. It comes to us at God’s initiative. There are some things that we cannot do about grace. Grace cannot be earned. Grace cannot be controlled. Grace cannot be deserved.
Grace is letting go and letting God. Grace is knowing we are not in charge and not wanting to be in charge.
Grace is the enabling power and spiritual healing offered through the mercy and love of Christ.
Grace is the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.
Grace means God moving heaven and earth to save sinners who could not lift a finger to save themselves.
Grace is God sending His only son to descend into hell on the cross so that we can all be reconciled to God and received into heaven.
Grace is the unmerited or undeserving favor of God to those who are under condemnation.
Grace is God reaching towards people who are constantly pushing back against him. God in His infinite mercy and compassion always gives us grace to move on when we are broken and have nothing to offer Him in return.
Grace is the basis of our identity and right standing with God (1 Corinthians 15 v 10). It enables and fuels everything in our Christian life.
Grace is the basis of our identity in Christ. Our holiness is through the grace of God. (2 Timothy 1 v 9)
Grace gives us strength for living. (2 Timothy 2 v 1) (Hebrews 13 v9)
Our hope of eternal life rests in the amazing grace of God. (Romans 5 v 21, Ephesians 2 v 5-8)
Our lives are no longer controlled by sin but we now live a life of faith given to us by God`s grace.
For us to be recipients of God`s grace, we must give up feelings of shame and unworthiness, feelings of not being good enough, feelings that we are a mistake.
We do not need to be perfect to be a recipient of God`s grace.
How does God show Grace to us?
God shows us grace through His son Jesus Christ. Jesus` death on the cross served as propitiation for our sins. Grace is the gift from our heavenly father given through his son Jesus Christ.
As recipients of grace, we are privileged to serve as agents of grace. We must continue in grace and must testify to the grace of God at all times and in all areas of our lives. (Acts 11 v 23, Acts 13 v 43, Acts 20 v 24).
God’s Grace empowers us to go everywhere and extend God’s love to everyone we meet. God’s grace takes us far above our limitations.
We are to extend grace to everyone because of the grace that God has shown us.
Grace carries us. It does not leave us to ourselves or tell us to pull ourselves up by our own power. Grace continues to seek us even when we reject it or think that we do not need it because it is one-way love.
God shows us grace in the way he loves us so that we can love others in return. God`s grace is limitless and unending.
All we need is to be faithful to the one who created us by knowing more of him through His Word. Knowing His word makes us know our purpose in life and when we know this, we can go ahead and live life God`s way because whoever Jesus has set free is free indeed.
Let`s look at the different kinds of grace
1. Grace for Greater Exploits: Even though we go through trials, God’s grace helps us through them. (John 16 v33). “This beautiful verse of scripture says; I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Whenever we go to God, He always gives us what we need. Grace is a feeling that we are never alone. Grace is free and abundant.
2. Grace for our Daily Living; God’s continual presence gives us the opportunity to act and be our best. God’s grace gives us the ability to act with compassion and kindness; (Galatians 5 v 22- 23) says; But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.
3. Grace to forgive others: We are given the grace to forgive others just as God forgave us. The grace to forgive requires the strength of God because when we are left to our own thoughts, revenge and depression may set in. Forgiveness is a God ordained ability.
4. Grace to Be Saved: This is the best and sweetest of all the Graces of God. God gave us His only begotten son to be the propitiation for our sins. None of us deserve this grace but even after this, God continues to give us more grace and much more than we need because he is a good God.
Let`s look at some examples of the works of Grace:
1. To Comfort the afflicted.
2. To Forgive offences
3. To pray for the living and the dead.
4. To instruct the ignorant.
5. To admonish sinners
6. To bear patiently those who wrong us.
7. To counsel the lost and the needy.
As believers, Grace must be the basis of;
1. Our Existence; Those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through Jesus Christ (Romans 5 v 17)
2. Our Strength for Living: Grace empowers us to continue living holy and righteous lives.( 2 Timothy 2 v 1, Hebrews 13 v9)
3. Our Speech: Let your speech always be gracious;(Colossians 4 v 6)
4. Our Faith: By the grace of God, I am what I am. (1 Corinthians 1 v 10)
5. Our Attitude: As believers, we must remember that our attitude determines our altitude. We must live a simple, holy life according to the grace of God that He has bestowed upon us. (1 Corinthians 1 v 12)
6. Our Sufficiency: My grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 2 v 9) God is able to make all grace abound to us so that we can be satisfied at all times.
7. Our Response to Challenges: It is the grace of God that helps us through challenges because we obtain grace to help us in time of need. (Hebrews 4 v 16) (1 Peter 1 v 10). Whenever we go through challenges, it is the God of grace himself that restores, confirms, strengthens and establishes us
Grace trains us to do the following;
1. Live sensibly; This includes having self-control and being careful of what goes into our mouth and what comes out of our mouth.
2. Live righteously: We must be people of integrity and live right. We must always be honest in our dealings.
3. Live Holy: God wants us to live holy and remain within His purpose and grace. (2 Timothy 2 v 9) Grace encourages us to set our hope only on God and not on man. As recipients of God’s grace, we must continue in grace. The grace of God is forever. It leads to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5 v 21)
Let`s Look at some Bible Verses on God`s Unending Grace.
1. 2 Timothy 2 v 1: Be strengthened by the grace that is in Jesus Christ
2. John 1 v 16: And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
3. Romans 5 v 20b: Where sin increased, grace increased more.
4. Romans 11v 6a: And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works, if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
5. 2 Corinthians 4 v 15: For all things are for your sakes, that grace having spread through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
6. 2 Corinthians 12 v 9a: And he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
7. Ephesians 2 v 8: For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.
8. Colossians 4 v 6: Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer each one.
9. 1 Peter 4 v 10: As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
10. Hebrews 4 v 16 : Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
11. Psalm 103 v 8: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
12. Romans 6 v 14: For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the law but under grace.
13. Romans 6 v 15: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Certainly not.
14. Philemon 1 v 25: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
15. Philippians 4 v 23: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen
!16. 2 Corinthians 13 v 14: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
17. Romans 1 v 7b: Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
18. Galatians 2 v 21: I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
19. Romans 16 v 20a: The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
20. Revelation 22 v 21: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
May the Lord give us the grace to do more for others, respect the dignity and life of others, be compassionate and generous to the needy and continue to walk in His Unending grace. Amen!
Shalom!