Growing up. I was no stranger to church. Around 7 years of age - I came to knowledge of the saving Grace of Jesus Christ. I heard the preacher talk about such Love that God had given & shown at the Cross when He gave His one & only Son Jesus, as a remedy for our sins. I knew I was a sinner even at such a young age; & also knew I needed a Saviour. The only way that I "knew" - was because He caused my eyes to be opened, for me to see clearly. Yeah. Grace was poured out.
God drew me. I accepted His Love. I beheld Him. I was captivated.
I still am. I am undone.
Such a grace to save such a sinner like me. I mattered to Him. He knew me even from afar & set His seal of Love on me. Man, what a wonderful Love.
Sometimes, I have to ask...as to what I did to deserve such love. And that is when the Holy Spirit reminds me... that I have done nothing remotely good enough to have received such a perfect Love. Hmm, well that's a relief. That means, that it was a free gift. Not earned, as my Pastor said this past week-end @GatewayPeople in his "Amazing Grace" sermon.
The rule of thumb here is that no one, not even one has done right enough or lived perfectly according to God's standards - except God Himself when He became a man. And chose to lay down His life for our stead. We deserved the punishment of our sins, but He paid the price in full to bring us into a close relationship with Himself. His atonement, is our recompense when we receive His wonderful gift of Grace. Pastor also shared a video [min 23:24] that was very heart-felt & quite unforgettable. Essentially painting a picture of Grace as a father demonstrates his love for his son; carrying him until the finish line & the son not feeling handicapped within those moments. This depiction of love is a reflection that shows us how broken we truly are & our Father asks for our "yes" & He does the rest.
It's kind of funny how this particular scripture came to my mind earlier, right before I started to type -
Ephesians 4:8
That is why the Scriptures say,
“When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”
This is a pretty wild scripture, maybe not right at first. But as you look a little further -it becomes food for the weary soul because it's a demonstrative scripture of Christ's completed work. It shows an implication that becomes crucial in conclusion that because Jesus did 'this' therefore it denotes that He also did 'that' - it's a picture of love. Of Christ giving Himself, giving gifts, humbling Himself. Ultimately, being an example of Love. Showing us what Love looks like & what Love acts like. Of the very same Grace that we have received, we can also extend to one another, to those who are lost.
Freely we have received, so now we can freely give. Never out of obligation, but rather out of joy. Out of the overflow of our hearts. Witnesses to what He has done.
The Remedy for our sins. Jesus.
Let's Pray:
Father, thank you. Thank you. Thank you - for such a grace! The Grace that heals, saves, & delivers. For Your Anointing that opens our hearts to Your Truth. And for Your Church. We are Yours. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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