“God's Wonderful Grace”

Tuesday, December 05, 2023

BIBLE READING: Romans 1-8

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5.1-2)

Romans emphasizes grace as a powerful source of hope. But to capture this hope we need to understand that grace is not some ambiguous force from God. Grace is given and received through Jesus. In him we are justified and through him we obtain access to God by faith, ultimately by his resurrection (Romans 4.25; 5.10). It is helpful to realize that grace is, and always has, been a reference to Jesus (see John 1.16; Titus 2.11). But for grace to meaningful, we must observe…

1. The context of grace. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift…” (Romans 3.23-24). We are condemned by our sins and hopeless. When God offered us the gift of grace, it was in our worst condition (Romans 5.6, 10). He did so to demonstrate his love and desire for our good. But Paul makes clear…
2. The movement of grace. This is seen in the prepositional phrases Paul employs over the next several chapters, specifically the idea of going “through Christ” and being “in Christ” (see Romans 3.24; 5.1-2). These phrases imply movement on God’s part AND our part in relation to Jesus. God has reached out to us, but if we want these blessings, we must move from where we are.
3. The surety of grace. It is associated with words like “promises” and “guarantee” (Romans 4.16). The gift of God’s grace in our weakness is an objective moment in time which will not be reversed. That’s why he introduces us once again to the context of grace to emphasize…
4. The power of grace. Grace is not subject to our weakness but will abound all the more in them (Romans 5.20-21). As long as we live, God will offer grace, in hope of producing change in our lives.
5. The result of grace. We are reconciled and saved through Christ. God’s actions of love witness that God’s love can supersede present circumstances; and it teaches us how to live and remain in God’s grace (Titus 2.11-ff).

It can be easy to see the power of our weakness. The consequences of sin are damaging and debilitating. But grace offers a way from God to alter our circumstances. What this means is that hope is always an option. Every day is an opportunity. If you woke up today, you have the power to make choices that will change your future. But that power is not from our own doing. It is from God’s goodness towards us. It is his strength and breath in your body. It is his mercy that opens our minds and hearts to what is right. Sometimes it is in good ways we like and other times it is in difficult circumstances. Either way, you have power in the present because there is hope in the future. That is God’s design and hope. That is God’s wonderful grace.

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