2-18-15 G.R.A.C.E.

         
            But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
                               To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.   2 Peter 3:18
 
God desires that we grow personally in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When Paul wrote his letter to Titus, he introduced it with a salutation of grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ the Son. God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
 
Grace imparts goodness to undeserving recipients. God has imparted the righteousness of His Son to those of us who were separated from Him by our sin and undeserving of His love. However, while we were yet in our sin, Christ died for us. Through the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit, His grace has drawn us to Him and enabled us to respond to Him. Now, as heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, we are to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil in so doing. In that active process of submission to God, we will see the evil one put to flight.
 
The grace of God is both saving and sustaining. It is saving in faith; it is sustaining in practice. Because of the total sufficiency of God’s grace to both save and sustain, we can face the greatest struggle with confidence in His ability and power to give strength for every hour. Even as we speak words aloud, they should demonstrate that grace of God to those who listen.
 
An acronym for sustaining grace is God's Resources At Crisis Encounters.  It is the grace of God that saves, keeps, strengthens, stabilizes and matures us. It is that same grace that we are to both reflect and report accurately to our world.

May God help us today to do so.

 
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