Grace.
It is the amazing gift we have received from God without any merit.
Grace is also a characteristic that should be a primary attribute of the Christian life. We who are redeemed through God’s mercy must be affording grace to others. Grace is what allows us to turn the other cheek, even though it contradicts every emotion within us. Grace allows us to love others who may be difficult to love. Grace allows us to live for Him and not ourselves.
As Charles Spurgeon stated, “The higher a man is in grace, the lower he will be in his own esteem.”
Let’s examine God’s saving, preserving and enthusing grace and see how we can more ably apply it to our daily walk with Him. Here are Six Keys to Being People of Grace.
• Grace leads to God’s blessings. In Acts 4:32-34, we see the apostles and early church forsaking all in order to proclaim the Risen Christ. And because of their amazing diligence, we see that “great grace was upon them all” (NKJV). This truth should compel us to be people of grace and purpose as we serve the Savior, for His glory.
• Grace should be afforded to non-believers. Ephesians 4:29 tells us, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” We have a responsibility as believers. We must be ever conscious of the fact that we represent Christ wherever we are. This means that He — not we — must be the central theme of our actions, conversations and motivations.
• Grace is impartial. In Galatians 2:20, Paul tells us he has “been crucified with Christ.” Since we have His mind in us, God’s grace spurs a desire to reach out to those who do not know Him. And we can’t be picky about this responsibility. A pastor friend of mine once said, “If we’re doing ministry and we’re not getting dirty, we’re probably not doing it right.” He meant that we must take the Good News to those who may be in troubling situations. A theme of our church planting ministry is: showing grace to all, as it has been shown to us. God’s grace is no respecter of persons and we should not be, either.
• His Grace matures us (II Corinthians 12: 7-10; II Timothy 2). We all struggle, as Paul notes in II Corinthians, with daily conflict. But God’s grace allows us to say, as Paul, that we can take pleasure in our sufferings and struggles “for Christ’s glory.” It is only through God’s amazing grace that we can mature in Christ and live victoriously for Him, no matter what hardships we are facing. Paul notes that God’s grace is abundant and His strength flourishes even in our weakness.
• Grace is liberating. In Hebrews 13:9, we read “… it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.” Grace is more important than religious observances. As Paul notes in II Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Each day, we need to be compassionately proclaiming the Truth of Christ and thriving in His grace and mercy.
• Grace is family-friendly. I Peter 3:1-9 establishes how husbands and wives should behave. It is such a wise passage and in verse 7, we see that couples honoring Christ will be “heirs together of the grace of life….” If we desire God’s blessings on our families, we will seek Him with daily passion so that we may find the wondrous grace of life that only God can provide. Show grace to those you love, my friends.
In writing this letter, I could not help but think about our ministries of grace, including the Liberty Godparent Home for Unwed Mothers, Gleaning For The World, the Elim Home for Alcoholic and Drug-Addicted Men, and others.
Since the founding of this ministry, we have been sharing the grace of Christ with people facing their greatest needs.
Through our church planting ministries, our pastoral training ministries and our many benevolence ministries, we are reaching the lost with the saving message of God’s eternal love, His grace and His mercy.
Thank you for helping us to propagate the Gospel in our own nation and across the globe. People who almost certainly would never have heard the Gospel are thriving in Christ Jesus today. But so many more need to hear about Him!
Let us together seek to be people of grace as we continue to serve Him.
Your friend in Christ,
Jonathan Falwell