God is such a being like none
other. From the beginning of time, where He already existed before time’s
birth, He has been indescribable by all beings that ever existed. We all do try
our very best to put some words together to give a description of who He is,
and what He is capable of doing, but it the vocabulary is severely lacking in
that respect. This lack has caused every human to see Him in different lights
and have thus attributed to Him different names to represent the different
faces of Him they have experienced. Grace, being the root of all things
Christian, is such an one attribute that is too wide and deep to explain, and
though it is far beyond any one person’s comprehension it can be narrowed down
to help get an understanding of the picture it paints.
GRACE, as defined by a certain pastor, is God Reaching At Christ’s Expense. It is favor that is vastly
unmerited, but because of the kind of love He has towards His creation He sent
His only begotten son, Jesus, to die and rise on behalf of that creation that
that very creation may have salvation (a life of eternal life in His presence)
in place of a death spanning eternity. Grace is freely given to all without
exceptions as clearly stated in Matthew 5:45 (KJV): “45For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on
the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” This is
not just a perfect example of Grace but its commonality for all. It is worth
noting that Grace, though free for all, must not be taken for granted. It is a
grave error to do so, and judgement will surely come.
So, how do we grow in Grace?
Well, the funny thing is, it is something we all do unconsciously and most of
the time without realizing it. Think about this for a second. You are conceived
and born, then you at some point you start to crawl, and then at another you
start to walk. As time goes by and you continue to grow (which, by the way, is
another thing to note) you start to gain knowledge through education, moving
from one stage to another (graduating) until you start working and get married.
Did all of this just happen because it is “normal” and therefore will happen
regardless of anything, or because there is a “certain force” at work?
Life is not what the world makes it seem at all! It is
anything but “just living the life that we
live the way we want it”. We are made to focus on ourselves (and material
things) and thus ignorantly, unconsciously and CONSCIOUSLY neglecting the existence of God, The Force at work. It is He who gives us each “level” of Grace fit
for each aspect of life we encounter. It is He who gives the Grace for as our
conception, birth, and growth through each and every single stage in life. Man
sees himself as all-mighty when he actually is all-nothing! …he is like chaff
that the wind blows away. Without God and His Grace we are weak, frail and
helpless, and walk a path that leads to ETERNAL
DEATH (spiritual death – life in hell), but His Grace is sufficient for us,
has found us, and has brought us salvation (saving Grace). THIS PARTICULAR GRACE IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE THROUGH ACCEPTING JESUS CHRIST
AS YOUR LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR!!! …AND LIVING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL (LIVING
FOR HIM RATHER THAN YOURSELF (YOUR OWN WILL/DESIRES)).
So, here are some examples of the different aspects of Grace.
The Grace for all, as explained earlier, is Common
Grace. It is the basest of all the aspects of Grace as it applies to everyone
whether they accept God or not. Saving Grace,
as also mentioned above, is God via Jesus paying the ransom required to gain
salvation for all who will receive His free gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8). Sustaining Grace is that which keeps a
Christian through those rather really tough times that just seem impossible to
get over, while Serving Grace is that
which enables a Christian to serve in the capacity of his/her given
talents/gifts. Pastors, preachers, teachers, singers, instrumentalists, ushers,
cleaners, caterers, administrators, counselors, and many other categories fall
within this aspect of Grace. Then there is Provisional
Grace which is the Grace that leads to your (all) needs being met (James
1:17), whereas Sanctifying Grace is
the power that goes to work to purify or sanctify us immediately we are saved
(Philippians 1:6). The miracles we see and experience in the lives of others
and in our very own lives are as a result of God’s Miraculous Grace (Acts 6:8). He is does not have to do this but He
does it anyway just because He is gracious. Finally, just to add some depth,
concerning provisional Grace where I said, “…is the Grace that leads to your (All) needs being met”, notice I put
“all” in brackets. This is because if you do not ask what you want according to
God’s will you will not receive answers to those prayers/needs.
It is not everything we
ask for that out parents let us have;
they allow only what is beneficial.
The above are just a few examples
of the countless aspects of Grace available to man as and when required. The
catch is that, though it is made completely available, man must ask for it to get
it (Matthew 7:7). The same way your parents know what you need but (usually)
provide it upon your asking is the same way God knows the very Grace you need
at each stage in life, but is simply waiting for you to ask for it. The other
part to it is what I mentioned earlier that: Grace is not to be taken for
granted though it is free; It is a privilege, and therefore a huge error to do
so, and judgement will surely come.
The parable of the talents is a good reference for that, and can be found in
Matthew 25:14-30.
Grace is how God deals with man, and man in turn responds with Faith. This is the root of Christianity;
Grace abounding and faith enabling. It is important for this to be understood
in order to lift the veil and thrust all confusion out the window. Many are
confused and deceived that “…your life is
your own, and thus it is by your own will that you can bring things to be.”
Yes, it is true – we have a will to choose, but no, it is not by your own might
that you are able to achieve things. Subtract Grace from the equation and you
no more have a solution at the end of that equation. Without Grace, you would
simply be stranded at sea! Philippians 2:13 (KJV) says: “13For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
A Christian can only be a Christian if that person lives as a
Christian is supposed to. A Christian is a representative of Jesus here on
earth. Such a person is therefore supposed to do things as the one he/she is
representing would if that very one where there. A Christian is thus supposed to mimic the
life that Jesus led when He was here on earth. So, yes… you (as a Christian)
have a will to choose, but your choices must fall within the will of the one
you represent – God. Anything else and you are basically not a Christian. Oh,
and I am purposefully repeating the word “Christian” so it sinks in nice and
deep that your life is not your own but God’s. To be a Christian in itself is
just by that very same Grace we are discussing.
We know for a fact that God likes gratitude (which also takes
the very same Grace to do), as was clearly shown in Luke 17:17-18 (KJV) when he
asked, “17Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the
other nine? 18 Has
no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” So, again, let us not take this Grace
for granted: Learn to say “Thank you”
to God often and in every moment. If even human parents require gratitude for
things they do for their children, how much more the creator of all things?
~Yohan
~inspiredw0rdz
~August
26, 2016 : 05:53 am
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