Sunday, April 22, 2018

Good Enough

“You may not think that you are not good enough, but God’s grace and love are bigger than who you think you are.” (godsradicaldaughter.tumblr.com)

The word “grace” is derived from the Greek word, charis. Charis has come to signify favor, goodwill, and loving-kindness especially as granted by a superior to an inferior. The word grace is in the New Testament 156 times. Your Heavenly Father provides His favor to sinners everywhere, who do not deserve it.

Many people struggle to believe in grace while others wonder how grace identifies itself in other human being. When thinking of God’s grace, these questions come to our Heavenly Father may come to mind “Do you still love me?” “Why are you so patient with me?” “Why haven’t you eliminated me for what I’ve done?”

Sometimes there is lingering guilt when you try to hide or ignore sin in your life. Here are some ways to live in the confidence grace offers:

1.   Grace points to the cleansing power of the cross.

“Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:14, ERV)

“Religion says earn your life. Secular society says create your life. Jesus says, 'My life for your life.’” (Timothy Keller)

2.   Grace points to the Word of God.

“See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, CJB)

“As you read, pause frequently to meditate on the meaning of what you are reading. Absorb the Word into your system by dwelling on it, pondering it, going over it again and again in your mind, considering it from many different angles, until it becomes part of you.” (Nancy Leigh DeMoss0)

 “I do not understand the mystery of grace only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”  (Anne Lamott)[i]



[i] Inspired by the sermon “Living Confidently in His Grace” (installment three) Sunday April 15, 2018 Pastor Dave Jansen CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH. Additional sources used: “The True Meaning of Grace” by Wayne Jackson and “God’s Grace Is Mind-Blowing” by Phillip Holmes
 

Phillip Holmes

@PhillipMHolmes

Phillip Holmes served as a content strategist at desiringGod.org. He is the Director of Communications at Reformed Theological Seminary and a finance coach and blogger through his site Money Untangled​. He and his wife, Jasmine, have a son, and they are members of Redeemer Church in Jackson, Mississippi.

Phillip Holmes Photo
 
 

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