Read John 1:14-17

Grace.

If you’ve been around church for any amount of time, you have heard the word “grace”. Growing up, my dad always told me that, simply put, grace is getting something that you don’t deserve. More often than not, it was after I did something stupid and I would be forgiven or given another chance. There are many times in my life where something good has happened to me and I think to myself, “Man, I don’t deserve this.” There are so many times where I got something that I didn’t deserve.

Now when it comes to our relationship with the Lord, Romans 3 is very clear in telling us that none of us are immune to sin and a couple of chapters later we learn that that sin brings about physical and spiritual death. God is very clear on what He calls us to do and what we are to avoid. No matter how much we may try, we will never match the standard of perfection God has for us.

“For the wages of sin is death…”

In a completely just world, we, as sinners, would be deserving of death and eternal separation from God. However, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and will forgive us of all our sins and restore us to good standing with God. In John 1, John speaks to the value of our relationship with God and the part that grace plays in it. Because of our relationship with God, we are in a position to benefit from grace.

Throughout this series, it is our prayer that, while we study different aspects of grace, you would realize the magnitude of the grace that God has for us. Seemingly all we can do is have a spirit of thanksgiving for what God did for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5).

Personally, I can agree with Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 1:15 about being the worst of sinners. To some extent, I think it is healthy for all of us to share this view that we are in no way deserving of God’s grace. As you read through this series in the coming days, allow your appreciation for the Lord to grow as you read a little more about the length that He went to in order to offer you salvation.

If you’re anything like me, all we can do in return for this great gift is to accept it and live our lives as a beacon of hope to a dark and unbelieving world.

Jake Lawson