Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
There are times when each of us needs encouragement in our lives. We may not realize it in that moment but then God gives us something that helps. I’m sure we can call it many things but for now let’s call it Grace.
Grace has been defined in many different ways through the years. One of my favorites is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Seeking to understand this can be tough, but it’s not so important that your mind understand it as much that your heart accepts it.
For a moment I want to share with you about grace and what it means to me. It is not original with me, but has become important to me. It goes like this – “God doing something for man that man can’t do for himself.”
Grace reaches out to impact life so that it is never the same as before. Grace touched Mary’s life and as a virgin she gave birth to our Savior. Grace touched Joseph and allowed him to direct the life of our Savior.
Grace took Mary Magdalene who had given herself to many men to one who gave herself to the One and Only Son. It took Peter from denial in a courtyard to standing faithful before the Sanhedrin. It took Paul from one who persecuted Christians to being one who proclaimed Christ.
Grace did for them what they couldn’t do for themselves. It is one of those divine events that reaches out to bring about a change in lives that carries an eternal significance. We may see it in a time of prayer or as we read Scripture. It can come when we are alone in the presence of God or spending time in worship with other believers.
I’ve seen grace extended through a word spoken in private as well as in a study group. To explain what grace is and how it works is difficult to say the least. Yet, I would have to say that is what makes it so amazing! It truly takes what we were and makes us into what God desires us to be.
It is by grace through faith that we are saved. As we call on Him to forgive us of our sins, His grace covers us and we are made clean. In fact, Psalm 51:7 finds David asking the Lord – “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” It is truly God doing something for us that we can’t do for ourselves. Old Paul Nachtigall couldn’t change what he was, but God did. You can’t change what you were, but God can. When we look at what we were and what we are in Christ, we simply call it grace.
God desires to bring about a change in our lives and does so through grace. God reaches out to us where we are to bring us to where He desires us to be and that is to be in a personal relationship with Him. If you desire that relationship, His grace is there for you. He wants to do something for you that you can’t do for yourself. By calling out to Him, His grace will touch you and do something for you that you can’t do for yourself.
So as you go through this day and those to come, let the amazing grace of God touch you. God loves you and extends His grace to each of you. Grace so amazing is not cheap, it cost Christ everything. Philippians 2:5-8 says: 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross”. So you see Grace truly is -- God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. May the grace of our Lord and Savior abound in your life today.
JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, there IS something about that name!!
Christ only, always,
Bro. Paul
Brother Paul Nachtigall is the preacher at Highland Baptist Church. He can be reached at bropaul@centramedia.net.
