“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” TITUS 2:11
One of the most overlooked words in our Christian life is grace. We may have heard, said, or used this word a thousand times, but do we really know and understand it? You see, grace is what we have received, but don’t deserve. It refers to the unmerited favor of God that drives us to become more like Jesus.Â
Imagine receiving a gift from someone whom you did something wrong to. Of course, you know that you don’t deserve it. But when that person says, “It’s okay, that’s free. It’s for you,” you’ll be left with a grateful heart. And sooner or later, this person’s goodness will cause you to ask for forgiveness, repent, and will motivate you to do good for that person.
The grace of God is the best gift you could ever receive. Not only because it’s free, but because it brings salvation and transforms us from the inside out. Which, if you will think, is humanity’s greatest need. But the best part is, God doesn’t require us to be good, smart, or rich first before He comes to us. He meets us on our lowest, or when we least expect it.
But to be able to receive a gift, one must accept it. Just like God’s grace, we can never be saved if we don’t respond to it by accepting it. It is through accepting His grace that we can receive our calling. And if we know our calling, real transformation will happen in our lives.
For genuine Christians, grace is not a means to live unrighteous because “you are already saved.” But instead, it is a driving force that will guide you to resist temptation and have true repentance. On the other hand, fake Christians accepted and received grace to continue making excuses so they could live ungodly.
His grace is the only thing that makes us righteous and acceptable before God. Because first and foremost, we do not deserve to be called holy and righteous, but it is now possible because of our faith in Jesus Christ.
Today, may you truly understand grace and never abuse it again. Because why would you hurt the One who loves you enough to save you?