If you read the Bible, you often see the word grace. A quick definition is “the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.” But it’s hard to be thankful for a dictionary’s dry explanation. What does grace look like in people’s lives?
The apostle Peter is a fantastic example. Brash and impetuous, Peter said and did things others wouldn’t. He was confident in himself. He boasted he would go to prison and even to death for Jesus. Yet, when an armed crowd of men arrested Jesus, Peter fled. Worse, he repeatedly denied he’d ever even heard of Jesus. Christ turned and looked Peter in the eyes on that third denial, which caused Peter to hurry away and weep bitterly (Luke 22:61-62).
By God’s grace, the story doesn’t end there. After Peter’s self-confidence had been purged to the roots, the resurrected Christ returned to him, forgave him, and restored him to ministry with the words “Follow me” (John 21). What undeserved favor!
The apostle Paul gives another example of grace. Also brash and zealous, Paul hated the faith of early Christians. He relished “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.” This guy made it his private mission to locate and imprison Christians (Acts 9:1-2). Yet, in His grace, the Lord appeared to Paul and gave him new life and a new purpose. So, was Paul faultless from that moment onward? No. In Romans 7:15 even the admirable apostle confessed that sometimes he did not do the things that he knew he should, and other times he did the things he hated and knew he shouldn’t.
But, praise God, He is merciful to those who repent of their sins. As John recorded, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Friend, probably—like me—you can totally relate to Paul, who even as a Christian found himself not doing things he should, yet indulging in things he shouldn’t. (We don’t know what those things were, but they pricked his conscious enough that he called himself “wretched” [Romans 7:24]) God doesn’t wink at sin. He definitely calls us out of it. And with grace He forgives, restores, and puts away our sin.
“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11-12). What fantastic grace!
A preacher once observed that the Devil likes to remind people of their past sins. Listening to Satan recite lists of our past failures is a sure way to feel defeated and useless for the rest of our lives. Based on God’s grace and forgiveness, that preacher advised his listeners to take past sins that have been repented of, lock them behind a solid door, then hang a “No trespassing” sign on it. That’s good advice.
If you know God, thank Him anew for His grace. Apart from it, who knows where you or I would be this very moment?