The Daily Word

 

How could we practically define ‘grace’? I suppose a demonstration of grace, at least in one old-fashioned way, was when the Lord of the Manor did something good but unexpected for his workers or tenants. Grace can be demonstrated also by accepting praise from someone without getting big-headed or making a lot of it. We define grace these days, at least spiritually, as unmerited favour from God towards us.

That was demonstrated so clearly and unequivocally when God sent His Son, Jesus, into this world to die upon a cross to pay the bill for our sins, a bill that we could never pay. The opening words in John’s Gospel conclude, “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”.

It was the character and work of Jesus that caused Paul to write in Romans, “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”. If it had been left to us, grace would never have abounded over sin, rather, the opposite would be true. But it needed the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to overcome the sin problem once and for all. Philippians 2 shows all we need to know about the grace of Jesus, but again we are thankful that God has now Highly exalted Him and given Him that name above every name and it’s our privilege to bow the knee and acknowledge that He is now Lord.

Article written by Brian Preston, Elder @SFGH Church