Heavy on the “Saved By Grace”

I see this quote “saved by grace” floating around pretty frequently. And I also see, “heavy on__” (you fill in the blank) often as well. The more I grow in my faith journey, the more I fall in love with the word grace! How could you not?! It’s the only thing that keeps us in “good standing” as God’s children. It’s not because of ANYTHING that we have done, any connection we have, or any accolades we’ve earned, that we are shown grace. Grace cannot be earned, it’s God’s free gift to His people. 

If you google the word grace, the definition given is the free and unmerited favor of God. In my own words, grace is God’s free gift to those who are undeserving. As Christians, we know and are taught that we are set apart. Because of this, it is easy for us to believe that we can work our way into God’s favor, or we can perform our way to receive God’s love. We think that when we make God upset, that by our actions, we can get back in good standing with Him. While it is true that in order to repent, we must both confess and turn from our old ways, it is really just the goodness of God that we don’t receive the consequences we deserve.

So, when I say, “Heavy on the SAVED BY GRACE”, I’m real heavy. There have been plenty of times where my actions deserved the greatest punishment possible, but YET God saw fit to just let it be. We all deserve death (I know it sounds harsh, but that’s just it.) Back in biblical times, bloodshed was the only way to pay for our sin. The death of Jesus on the cross was God allowing his son to pay for OUR sin. His grace, love, and mercy for us is more than any human mind could comprehend. God knew before we were born that we would mess up time and time again. He knew that we would turn from him, but he still chose to give us salvation and redemption through his grace. 

Not only does God show us grace with our thoughts and actions, but God also shows his grace through our weaknesses.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness.”

It is our job to do only what we can do, and trust and believe that God will do the rest. God’s grace steps in when we get to the end of our own abilities. It saves us when we can’t save ourselves. We can only do so much in the physical. We need God’s grace to carry us when we no longer can carry ourselves. We must rely on God’s power instead of our own pride.

Once we understand God’s grace towards us, we must learn to show grace towards ourselves. Have patience when you don’t get it right and when you don’t reach the mark. Rest in knowing that when we are weak, He is our strength.

Of course, since we are made in His image, we also should show grace. How often do you show grace towards others? In what area of your life do you need to allow God’s grace to carry you?