Scripture:
John 1:17 The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
James 4:6 God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Observation:
Grace. It is how we are saved. We access it only through faith and humility. It is given by God, revealed by Jesus, and activated in our lives by the Holy Spirit. It is so much more than unmerited favor. It is the supernatural ability to do what we could never do on our own. As a result, some have mistakenly believed that grace, therefore, is the great get-out-of-jail-free card; that it is a means by which we may obtain salvation with minimal effort. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Grace only activates once we have the faith and humility to work toward obeying God’s word. Then, once we are face-to-face with our weakness, the Lord steps in and declares, “My grace is sufficient for you, and My strength is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:10 that he worked harder and did more than all the other apostles. He also admits that it was not him alone, but the grace of God that was at work in him.
Application:
We need God’s grace for salvation and to live a life that is pleasing to Him. This means that we as Oswald Chambers declared, must give our utmost for His highest. We do our part to accomplish God’s will in the natural and practical, and then God gives us grace, a supernatural supercharge to be able to get it done.
This means we must live in a state of perpetual faith, repentance, and humility. This is possible as we believe that God really can do what He says if we would only trust Him and step out of our boats at His command (Hebrews 11:6).
Prayer:
Lord, I love You. Thank You for today. I ask for forgiveness for my pride and doubt. Help me to know what You have called me to do and help me to trust that You will be with me through it all. Reveal Your word to me and help me to apply the principes found in Your word in my life. Give me grace to know You, to please You, and to live a life that bears fruit for Your glory. Amen.
Worship: