Gift of God

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

We all would agree that God is much more merciful and forgiving than we have any right to expect. Each of us has received the grace of God in ways that are beyond any reasonable explanation, and this is simply because God is the sweetest and most loving person there is. It is a beautiful reality that God loves and identifies Himself with us despite our undeserving state, giving us a perfect understanding of the timeless John Newton lyric:

“Amazing grace,

How sweet the sound, 

That saved a wretch like me…”

Yet, a companion truth to God’s boundless mercy is His violent aversion to the sin He so graciously covers. If you have any doubt as to how He views sin, consider the Cross of Jesus Christ. Our Savior died the most gruesome death at the hands of sinners and the complicity of Satan for our sakes. He bore our sins, sickness, and grief while here on earth, tasted the Father’s wrath in our stead on the Cross, and imparts the same power that raised Him from the dead to us - all this, from His throne in Heaven. Once again, God's amazing grace is far beyond our comprehension, but let it not be beyond our appreciation and our worship!

Let's Pray - Lord, we will be singing and praising you with songs of gratitude forever in heaven. Let that same spirit of worship be alive in Your church today and we look forward to the opportunity to see You and praise You face-to-face. Amen.