“And (the Lord) said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for
you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ " 2 Corinthians 12:9
“Grace is God's unmerited favor.
That is, grace is God doing good for us that we do not deserve. In the Bible,
grace and mercy are like two heads of the same coin. Mercy is God withholding
judgment or evil that I deserve; grace is God giving me blessing or good that I
do not deserve. Because of God's mercy, I do not receive the judgment of God
against my sins; because of God's grace, I receive eternal life and a promise
of heaven though I do not deserve them. Both mercy and grace come to me though
the Lord Jesus Christ.”1
While temptations abound throughout our
lives, it is the grace of God that holds us together. It is the gentle
conviction of the Holy Spirit that draws us back to the place where reason and
selfishness intersection: our wants versus God’s desire for us. Our thoughts and actions at times do not
warrant His unmerited favor, but that is the nature of the word unmerited. We don’t deserve it, not at
all. We can be a selfish, temperamental lot, like children who stomp their
feet, insisting on getting what we want. It is in seeking the face of God and becoming
more familiar with His character and will for us that we mature and begin to
grow into the person God knows we can be. If we yield to temptation, then as the Bible
declares, we shall reap what we have sown. If we fall back into the arms of
God’s mercy and grace, we will strengthen our faith and reaffirm within our own
spirit the purpose of our being; to please God with our lives and live for
Him. May our lives always be an example
of the mercy and grace of God. Until
next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
1 David
Reagan; www.learnthebible.org
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