For a long time I underestimated God’s grace. Oh yes, since I was a girl, I knew God’s grace is powerful, effective, and miraculous for our salvation:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2 :8-9.
But in my limited understanding, I left God’s grace on the altar of my conversion.
Then some trials and difficult challenges hit my life and I discovered my self-sufficiency was merely an illusion. I realized I cannot live a day, make a move, or even fill my lungs with air without the glorious, ever-present grace of our great God.
His grace is always there. Sometimes it goes unnoticed. Sometimes it is rejected. But just as water is essential for physical life, God’s grace is essential – and available – for our spiritual life.
Like a spring-fed river, divine grace flows constantly. Sometimes God’s grace is quiet and deep, patiently soaking into the dry nooks and crannies of our souls. Other times it surges, cascades, and pounds, working to smooth our sharp edges and wash away deposits left behind by the world.
No dam can stop it. No bank can contain it. It knows no bounds.
The unbounded grace of God is lavishly abundant – for any day and every day.
In Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome, he writes that those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ no longer live “under the law.” We no longer live under condemnation and judgment. Instead, those who are in a saving relationship with Jesus live in and under the reality of grace, completely and abundantly covered.
Paul knew all about grace. The Greek word translated as “grace” is charis. It is used 156 times in the New Testament. Paul penned 103 of them. He understood God’s grace in a way most of us never will. A strict Pharisee who adhered to the Law to the letter, he persecuted and killed Jesus’ followers. Yet, he received God’s grace in lavish abundance. This self-proclaimed “worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:16), experienced the overflowing richness of God’s grace. And he was never the same.
A river of grace flows through Paul’s life and writings. He shows how God’s grace washes through and over every part of a believer’s life. God’s grace is not “just enough” for us. It’s more than sufficient. It is freely given. Abundantly poured out. Without boundaries or limits.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7-8, NIV
God extends His grace in our every day and any day. He pours it out on us as we encounter hardship and He pours it through us when we deal with difficult people. His grace is always abundantly available. Sometimes we simply fail to rely on it. We forget about its availability. We try to operate in our own strength. We underestimate its power.
Believer, let us lean on God and His lavish, abundant grace! He offers it freely!
What about you? Do you tend to underestimate God’s grace? If so, in what ways?
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