Amazing Grace

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

 

 

Eph 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

 

 

1Ti 1:12-14  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.  And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
 

A young child was sent to my office for biting another child. When this happens we call the biting child's parents AND the parents of the bitten child. (Sounds like a good name for a movie!) This little girl knew what she had done was wrong, but kept drawing attention to the fact that another child had first kicked her. I allowed the little one time to cry and watched her literally spit out her version of what happened. But, the fact remained, "She bit another person!"

"I want my mommy," she wailed.   "I want my husband but we both have to be at our jobs today."

She cried some more peeking over her tears to see if she was getting through to me. She wasn't!

I knew she would eventually surrender wanting to join her classmates for recess, so I decided that this time out wouldn't last that long. I was right and she went back to class but not until I called her mom and spoke to her in front of the child. She wailed more loudly during this time, but the mom knew her child and said, "Tell her I will take care of it when I get there."  After a short scream and lamentations of sort, she quickly joined her friends.

At the end of school the mom came and the little one saw me and said, "My Mommy came to pick me up!" Then, she grabbed her mom's hand, jumped up and down in delight and began pulling her arm to their car.  I watched them walk away as tears literally came to my eyes. Oh how much we need someone to be "for us" when we make stupid, quick decisions that could devastate us and others. I wish my blunders were as simple as this little one, don't you?

Before you and I were born again, we made mistakes that may follow us the rest of our lives and yes, Christ has forgiven us but the fact remains there may be some heavy consequences that might follow. A good bite leaves a mark or did you know that? Those decisions were based on a belief system foreign to God's Word. So, as you join this trip to knowing God, you will find the road to be quite narrow the longer you travel. But, dear friend, God is "for you!" He tells us in 2Co 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Do you understand that God loves us no matter how rotten we were before we received this grace of His? I don't understand His grace like I should, but I'm learning that it (Grace) is His to give to US....first at salvation but then, He offers us Serving Grace! Just recently some of my favorite preachers have talked about this "Serving Grace" and it is becoming more and more real to me.

Praise God for "saving grace."   Eph 2:8 & 9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Our faith  actively receives this belief while God bestows .....more grace. No works are involved in saving grace. It is His to give! We reach out and receive it. There are no works involved and neither baptisms. It is Him ALONE!

The first time I was baptized I was dunked three times forward. Pastor Joe Mae baptized me in the name of the Father, dunk, in the name of the Son, dunk, and in the name of the Holy Spirit, final dunk! None of those dunkings saved me and neither did joining the Church of the Brethren save me. Those two obedient acts were very important to my growth but not to salvation. Jesus' blood on the cross was shed for my rotten, stinking self and for the whole world for those who believe. His Grace is the unmerited eternal salvation of God. It is the opposite of what you and I deserve, friend.  Do you have this "Saving Grace" or are you wandering out there trying to figure out how to make the detours work for you. If you and I are ever going to experience God's "Serving Grace" we must relinquish our way and surrender to His Way!

What is Serving Grace? Next time we'll look at some examples right smack in the middle of God's Word. It is Him, the One we are getting to know more today than yesterday. So, pull up those queen size stockings and put on your high heels for a spiritual run as we learn "how" to serve this awesome, wonderful, God of ours!

 Until next time, Lord willing...

Sharon