Get a Grip on Grace

There’s a lot of talk these days about privilege. Dear Christian, it’s time to more fully get a grip on grace – the believer’s highest privilege God bestows.

I’m especially fond of the Living Bible translation of Romans 5:2. Authored by Paul, no one knew better what it was to get a grip on grace! A master at being religious and thinking he was doing God a great favor as a zealot, what he thought he knew of God turned upside down when grace met him face to face.

Here’s what he said afterward about what it was to get a grip on grace –

 So now, since we have been made right in God’s sight
by faith in his promises, we can have real peace with him 
because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
² For because of our faith, he has brought us into this place of highest privilege (grace)
where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to 
actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be.
Romans 5:1-2 Living Bible (TLB)

 ▪▪▪

The biblical definition of grace is lyrical. I’ve spoken of it before at other times here and here, but it bears repeating:

grace – divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life

It presumes a reflection in this life we’re living, of graciousness and gratitude, acceptable, benefit, favor, pleasure, and…I love this portion…joy liberality.

Liberal joy is an appropriate, overflowing response of those who’ve caught a glimpse of ‘this grace in which we (now) stand’. No other supplier in life offers fulfillment of the joyful hope of grace that transforms us into who our Source has had in mind all along. If your joy has trotted off somewhere over the rainbow, isn’t it time to get a grip on grace?

As one who is a recipient of God’s grace, I can attest to the fact that “learning who I am in Christ” (one of the Christian community’s favorite tag lines) occurs when class is in session, which is pretty much daily. Otherwise, grace would not be grace. And, becoming all that God has had in mind for us (me) to be would be stymied and shut down.

What makes grace a place of highest privilege is the discovery of who you truly (Heb. not concealing) are as you stand in ‘this grace’ through faith in Christ Jesus. Otherwise, your assessment and His can be miles of understanding apart.¹

Paul, and every believer who has had their own Pauline experience of being brought into grace, stands humble. If you want to be opposed by God, be proud. God gives grace to the humble;² and His grace doesn’t perpetuate misery.

▪▪▪

This place of highest privilege aka grace has no color attached to it, while faith in God’s promises because of what Christ has done for us is the door of access to grace for every color. I grew up singing Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world…red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world. ♪♫

These are lyrics of grace, dear Christian. Not just for you or me, but for everyone who exercises faith to believe God.

Jesus himself said that unless we are converted (literally ‘turned’) and become like little children, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven.³ Recently, I witnessed an example befitting grace as I watched a parent and little child:

My husband and I were dining when a young, tall father walked by headed for the restroom with his 2-3 year old son. The little boy veered right, his attention caught by something more interesting. Dad, without a beat, placed his open palm on his little one’s head and with a slight, but firm pressure steered, ie. turned his son in the right direction. I gave commentary to my husband as it unfolded. We chuckled, yet what an illustration.

Grace does this all day long, my friend.

It exerts, in every situation, the perfect amount of pressure of divine influence upon our heart. It is true grace ⁴ when we learn to be responsive to the point of its reflection in our life.

His grace is amazing. Greater still, His grace is another way you can know you are loved like you were the only one.

Standing in this grace, God’s highest privilege …

~ Gracefully Free  

¹ Yet to be addressed
² James 4:6 (in context of James chapter 4)
³ Matthew 18:3
⁴ I Peter 5:5b-12, true grace defined in vs. 10: “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

Photo Credit: Tirachard Kumtanom from Pexels

©2019 Nancy Bentz │Wellspring of Life