Amazing Grace

Good afternoon everybody,
Thanks be to God!
You know, it is impossible to extend grace to someone who feels like they deserve it. For instance, your child asks for $10 so she can go eat with friends after church. At this point you can give her the money by simply being gracious, but if she says that you owe her because she helps you so much, you can’t be gracious anymore. If you give her the money, it is payment and not grace. Which makes very little difference in this case, but here is the point…
Our Father gives us every good thing we have and ever will have, by grace. Without His grace, we would (we have all sinned) get what we deserve. So when we come boldly before the Throne of Grace, we remember that it is only because of the precious blood of Jesus that we can come at all. We could do everything listed in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3*, but it is still by grace that we are saved, healed, delivered, protected, and blessed. Yes we come boldly and confidently, knowing that we are loved. We are made clean, righteous and spotless by Jesus’ gift of grace – His very life blood! We come full of thanks in our hearts, never calling attention to our measly little acts of righteousness but instead understanding that He gave us the grace, or ability, to do them in the first place!
Oh, yes, they are good. We will be rewarded for each. But we have access to the Father by grace only.
So back to my example, if we feel like we deserve something from the Lord, we have cut off the grace of God. I have heard people ask, ‘I don’t understand why X didn’t get healed. She was there every time the doors at church were open, she volunteered, visited and made meals for the sick, and prayed all the time.’ Well, what does x’s, or anybody’s, good acts have to do with them being healed? Nothing. God owes us nothing, whether we are Sister Theresa or some drug addict on the street.
God has done everything He is ever going to do about our healing, by grace. This is GOOD news, friends! What He did was more than enough for all of us for all time! By grace.
No wonder Paul so often declared grace and peace over his spiritual fledglings. They needed it! And so do we. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!!
I love you all!
*speak in tongues of men and angels, have all understanding and knowledge, have faith to move mountains, give all to the poor, give up body to be burned.
Healed by His stripes,
Nancy Bass