Grace Defined
It’s always hard to come up with a fitting definition for such a deep and wide concept as grace. Chuck Swindoll and Michael Easley offer up some descriptions of God’s grace toward us.
The word grace is a short, simple word. But understanding the biblical depth and meaning of grace can take a lifetime of study and application. It's almost a shame that a word describing suppleness of movement or a short, quick prayer before a meal is the same word we use to describe God's unfathomable love for sinners. Nevertheless, it is grace that moves Him to offer us the free gift of salvation and forgiveness.
Grace is what compelled the Apostle Paul to write of a mystery never understood before (1 Corinthians 2:7-13). Grace is also what allows us to relax into another's accepting embrace as he or she gives us the freedom to discover our unique journey laid out by God. So relax as we journey together down the path toward freedom and the wonderment of the surpassing riches of God's grace!
It’s always hard to come up with a fitting definition for such a deep and wide concept as grace. Chuck Swindoll and Michael Easley offer up some descriptions of God’s grace toward us.
Oh, I understand that our example is Christ…and that the standard is high…and that our motives are to be pure. But it needs to be repeated again and again and again: Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.
Dealing with change in life can be hard but Scripture does provide us with some direction.
“Have I lost my salvation? Does God still love me even though I'm doing everything wrong? And where do I go from here? I don't know what to do.”
Christmases of my childhood were marked by monumental events, few more exciting than the Sunday school program, which slammed the door on three months of school and opened another on two weeks of holidays.
Christians since the first century have been tempted to trade grace for a life directed by strict law and high-minded requirement. The Apostle Paul addressed the Galatian church on this very issue, warning them against trading God’s Gospel for a different, human-made gospel. As we hear the word to the Galatians, keeping our message grounded in grace will help our lives exude grace.
A wandering mind drove King David to distraction and became more than he could bear. But his multiple sins refused to stay silent. No struggle is more relentless than sin…especially unconfessed sin. Let’s take a close look at David’s response to his sin and gain some insight for our own lives about God’s blessed gift of forgiveness.
Although we are Christians, we still struggle with sin in our flesh (Galatians 5:17-21). If we live according to the flesh we will reap dead works.
When I was about eight I stole something. This event ranks as one of the top 10 of all my childhood memories, right up there with nearly drowning. I remember it so clearly.
Honesty is the quality of being genuine and uncorrupted. And from that core, like the trunk of a tree, it branches three ways.