FOR THE GRACE OF GOD! 4/3/11

I HAVE noticed within the last thirty years, churches talk a lot about God’s grace. It is as though God’s grace is a license for you to be free to do anything. I guess you would call me a legalist because I believe God’s grace was given at the Cross, anything else would be frosting on the cake. When we say; “There but for the grace of God” we are saying; “Thank you God for the sacrifice your Son made on the cross because that has made it possible for me to come to you and to receive forgiveness of my sins. You have made it possible for me to say no to the world and yes to your Son.” Thank you Lord!

GOD’S GRACE on the cross has given us the desire to stop and ask; “What would Jesus do!” I don’t know how many times I have said; “There but for the grace of God, go I!” I realize that I could be wearing the shoes of the unfaithful; the prostitute; the liar; the thief; the murderer; the cheat, you name it and I could be it and most of the time my sins are equally defeating. That fateful day, so many years ago when the man Jesus went to the cross, we all were on His mind! He has made it possible for us to escape the snares laid out before us.

AS A GIRL growing up I didn’t want to do anything that would make my family ashamed of me, or would hurt them. I learned as a young wife, that my husband grew up feeling the same way. When I met Jesus I discovered I didn’t want to hurt my new family, the church, nor did I want to cause God to be displeased with me. However, the natural side of me played the harlot and I would fail being perfect on my own. I imagine you all have experienced these kind of days!

WHEN I SEE those who are caught up in Satan’s snare of iniquity, my heart aches for them. I realize their minds are full of what they have done; what other’s may think; how it will affect their families and the turmoil becomes the pool they are drowning in. There but for the grace of God go I! I am so thankful that God sent His son and the bridge He was to cross, was the cross He carried for me and you, of which He hung on and died.

“BUT NOW the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it; the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by His blood, to be received by faith.” Romans 3:21-25

ACCORDING to the law a price must be paid; a penalty must be suffered; a sacrifice must be offered. Paul finds in the life and death of Christ, the indispensable atoning sacrifice. In retrospect we find man was reconciled to God by the death of Christ. His death was His gift of grace to all those who accept Him as savior, through faith. “If, because of one man’s sin, death reigned through that one man; how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness, which is to reign in his life through the one man, Jesus Christ?” Romans 5:17 His grace through His blood on our cross!

“WHAT SHALL WE then say? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? No! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:1-4 This brings us to the phrase; “But there, for the grace of God, go I!” When we find ourselves enmeshed in the sins that attack our natural side; grab a hold of the grace given to us by Jesus Christ and allow Him to pull you out of the miry clay! Sing His praises all day long, for God is good!
By Jane Ann Crenshaw 4/1/11