How many times has the grace of God appeared, as if out of nowhere, to help us? I can think of so many times when I sat in sheer gratitude for the love and grace of God in my life.
I recently took a couple of trips to Colorado and being from West Texas where everything is flat, my eyes were in awe of the mountains and beautiful trees that just appeared on the horizon as we drove north. The funny thing is, they had been there all along. It seemed to me that they suddenly appeared but in reality, I just wasn’t aware of these beautiful landmarks.
Isn’t this true of the grace of God too?
The Bible says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). This isn’t a maybe. This is an absolute truth. In other words, the grace of God has been there all along— some people just aren’t aware of it.
The Message Translation says, “God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness” (Titus 2:11-14 MSG).
There’s a reason for grace.
To appear means to come into sight or become visible. It also describes something that has become clear. I believe it is the heart of God for all of us to understand His grace. He wants us to see it and receive it.
The funny thing about grace is how much the devil despises it. In an effort to throw people off-track, the devil has twisted the message of grace in so many contorted ways. Some people say grace is freedom to live any way you want. Others who are scared of this thinking throw grace in the other ditch and cautiously teach it only as a one-time gift for salvation. But according to God’s Word, both of these extremes are wrong.
I like the way author John Bevere defines grace as an empowerment to do what His Word asks of us. In and of of ourselves, we fall short of God’s glorious standard every time (Romans 3:23). But the grace of God (which is unmerited, a sheer gift) enables us to stand again and again.
I’ve fallen many times. I’ve also been emboldened and empowered to rise back up— simply because God’s love and unending grace reminded me who I am in Christ Jesus.
Grace isn’t a one-time pick-me-up.
It’s true that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). But it is equally true that grace is available on any day at any time.
The Bible says, “Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]” (Hebrews 4:16 AMPC).
I don’t care how long you’ve been a believer, grace is available to you. Even if you’ve been a leader, in the ministry, teaching others, all-the-more GRACE is available to you. In fact, I dare say, God wants you to draw upon it and keep moving forward.
The opposite of God’s grace is the devil’s condemnation.
Perhaps you just need to take a drive (spiritually). God’s grace has always been there (will always be there). Maybe you just need to reposition yourself to see it.
