Saturday, October 1, 2016

THE POWER OF GRACE


By Matthew Martin

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16



AMAZING GRACE

Grace is simply the favor of God made available to all humankind. The Greek word charis [grace] means kindness or favor. From the grace that Noah found in God’s eyes that saved him and his family from the flood, to the grace that enabled the apostles to persevere through extreme trials; God’s grace is the power that pours His love and kindness upon His children.

The concept of Grace is somewhat mysterious when we consider the broadness of its use in Scripture. Christian writer, Max Lucado, summarized grace nicely, when he wrote that God’s grace is both saving and sustaining in nature.  Grace leads us to faith in Jesus Christ, and then sustains in our daily walk with Him. Thus, God’s grace is all-encompassing in our lives as Christians; God’s grace is our constant companion; God’s grace is amazing!

PROPELLING GRACE

In a sense, grace acts like a propellant of God’s work in the world. Propellants come in all shapes and sizes, depending on the object that needs to be moved, but most of us use common propellants every day when we use aerosol cans. From shaving products, to hair sprays, to cleaning products, to my personal favorite—Reddi-wip, we are all familiar with products under pressure in a can.

An aerosol propellant is a gas, under pressure, that is used to spray out the contents of a can as the pressure is released. While the product is emptied from the canister, the propellant has the ability to expand, thus, keeping constant pressure inside the can until the useful product is completely used up. Propellants help disperse the products in the most efficient and effective way, providing the greatest benefit to the user.

Grace is God’s propellant in our lives. We are all products under pressure. Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Corinthians, when he talked about his “thorn in the flesh” and how God’s grace continually made up for the weakness the “thorn” caused him.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  II Corinthians 12:8-10

Just like aerosol propellants expand to fill the void left as the product is used up, God’s grace expands into our lives to fill the voids left by our weakness as humans. For the unbeliever, grace fills the void of unbelief and produces faith, and, to the believer, grace fills the void between the “God-sized” tasks we are called to accomplish and our human limitations.

THE CHALLENGE

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16



1.     Identify where we need grace.

2.     Confidently approach the throne of grace for God’s mercy and help.

3.     Ask God to fill the areas in our lives where we are weak with the power of His grace.



“My chains are gone I've been set free My God, my Savior has ransomed me and like a flood His mercy reigns Unending love, amazing grace”

       —Chris Tomlin Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)



God’s grace is all we need,


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