1 Corinthians 15:9,10 “For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am.”
Echoing the apostle Paul’s words above, the former slave trader, John Newton, with similarly plenty of blood on his hands, was able to declare: “I’m not what I ought to be, I’m not what I would like to be, I’m not what I hope to be, but I’m not what I was, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”
The above two men knew how sinful they were. That’s the first requirement to receiving God’s undeserved grace. One of the most beautiful encounters in the Bible takes place when a prostitute appears at Simon the Pharisee’s home. She breaks every rule in the book as she interrupts the respectable men’s gathering, lets down her hair, and washes Jesus’ feet. Jesus responds to the judgmental flabbergasted men: “I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7:47).
We might want to take credit for what we’ve done in our lives, but take a long hard look back. Whatever you did was a product of the time and place you were born into, your talents and health and opportunities – and none of this you earned! It’s all grace.
Tullian Tchividjian wrote: “The operative power that makes you a Christian is the same operative power that keeps you a Christian: the unconditional, unqualified, undeserved, unrestrained grace of God in the completed work of Christ. The banner under which Christians live reads, ‘It is finished’. So relax, and rejoice. Jesus plus nothing equals everything; everything minus Jesus equals nothing. You’re free!”
Thank you Lord for this fabulously liberating truth. I choose to live in the freedom of your grace today. Amen!
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