Rev. J. Patrick Street
2 Peter 1 says, “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (vs. 2-3).
You see that the grace of God is more than salvation but also everything we need for life and godliness. The definition of grace could be “God's life, power and righteousness given to us by unmerited favor.” It is through grace that God works effective change in our hearts and lives. Grace gives us a new life which is not condemned by God. Through God's grace we are forgiven, transforming our thinking, resulting in the renewal of our mind and heart. Through grace we live the kind of life that God would like every one of His children to experience.Let’s consider in more detail what the grace of God does in us.
God’s grace saves us.According to Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” It is important to see here that by God's grace we have been saved. It is not by works. Salvation is done strictly on the basis of God's grace. God's gift of grace comes through the cross of Jesus, not our works, the cross makes it all possible.
God’s grace justifies us. According to Romans 3:24, “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” We may be considered to be right by God only because of His grace and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which is available to us because Jesus willingly lay down His life for us, paying the price we deserved for our rebellion against God. Our justification is not something we receive because of good works, but because of the payment Jesus paid for us at the cross when he suffered and died.
God’s grace sanctifies us. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:13, “because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” Indeed, not only are we in right standing with God, but also our right living depends on grace. Sanctification is the process of being set aside, in our case being set aside for the purposes of God. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”
God’s grace empowers us to service. God wants us to be so full of His grace in our lives that we can say with Paul: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). The grace of God is not earned by works, but it produces work done in His service. Grace, which is God's life, comes into us and works in us and through us so that we can be all and do all in His service. Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. This means that whatever gifts and abilities God has given us by His grace; we should use them for His glory. God's grace and blessings were not given simply for us to sit in church and feel good. Rather, they were given that we might not only be blessed, but also be a blessing.
In the light of all that has been said, it is clear that it would be difficult to overestimate the importance of God's grace as far as our lives are concerned. Without grace we would not only be useless in God's sight, but we would be lost. There is no work that man can do to make him “good enough for God.”
Everything that we do outside of God's grace is worthless. Everything good that comes in us and through us is only by the grace of God. Grace saves us, justifies us, sanctifies us, and empowers us for His service. Grace-filled living is exercising the gifts that grace provides and spreads the gospel of grace to a hurting and dying world.
Rev. J. Patrick Street is Lead Pastor at Redeemer Church, Marion. Contact him atcoachpatstreet@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter:@CoachPatStreet
