Grace

‘...we have all received…one grace after another...’ John 1:16 AMP

God’s grace comes to us free and clear, with no strings attached. In fact, He’s more tolerant and less judgmental than any of us are. We weren’t worthy and didn’t deserve it but because we belong to Christ, ‘Out of His…(abundance) we have all received…one grace after another…spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing…favour upon favour and gift [heaped] upon gift.’ Richard J. Neuhaus said, ‘The moralising and legalising of the Gospel of God’s grace is a dull heresy peddled to disappointed people who are angry because they have not received what they had no good reason to expect.’

When you truly grasp the concept of grace: (1) You will gain a fresh appreciation for God’s gifts to you—things like salvation and forgiveness, the gift of life, health, laughter, music, beauty and friendship. (2) You will be less critical and less concerned with what other people do. Ever heard the saying, ‘I’m ok with me.’? When you operate in the freedom that comes with grace, you’re ok letting other people chart their own course and make decisions you may not make. (3) You will become more tolerant and less judgmental. Instead of focusing on appearance based on religious performance, you will look for authenticity and a genuine love for God. (4) You will grow spiritually. David said, ‘He brought me out into a spacious place…’ (Psalm 18:19 NIV) Grace expands your horizons so you can never go back to where you once were.