Enabling Grace

People are usually known by two things—who they are and what they do. Most of us define who we are based on history, because it has a way of shaping who we think we are. But one thing that changes or redirects how we see ourselves is the grace of God. His grace enables us to be who we are meant to be and to do what He wants us to do. 

Even though we have a sinful past or a past that makes us think we’re not worthy to be recipients of God’s grace, He freely gives this grace to us. The apostle Paul’s transformation through the grace of God may be one of the most radical. He was probably the most feared persecutor of the followers of Christ in his time. He would go from city to city to hunt Christians down and have them stoned to death. Yet, when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he put his faith in Him.

Grace also affects what we do. What Paul did after his encounter with Christ followed his new identity. He worked harder than all the other apostles to do what God called him to. He became a prolific church planter, wrote most of the New Testament, and raised multiple church leaders. He couldn’t have done any of these apart from the enabling grace of God. 

Like Paul, our past is not a hindrance to the new identity we have in Christ. As Christians, we need to understand that we certainly were what we once were, but now we are what we are only by the grace of God. Grace is a reset button for us because it literally resets our identity, so like Paul we can declare: “I am who I am by the grace of God.”

Application

1. Knowing that God’s grace changes your identity, there may be some beliefs or mindsets that need to be broken in your life. Identify how you view yourself and if this is contrary to what the Bible says, put a Scripture next to it that gives you a godly perspective. Ask God to reset your identity and declare: “I am who I am by the grace of God.”
2. What do you believe God’s grace will enable you to do in the coming days, weeks, and months? 
3. The call and purpose of God in our lives is impossible to fulfill without His grace. Ask God for the boldness to preach the gospel or your personal testimony to a close friend today. Write the person’s name and some verses that you will be sharing with him or her. 

Prayer

Thank You, God, for Your enabling grace. Despite my past and my sins, You have shown grace toward me. I pray that as I pursue Your purpose in my life, I will always remember that it is not my works that changed me but only Your grace. May I walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which I was called, so that Your grace toward me will not be in vain. Every day I will declare that I am who I am by the grace of God. In Jesus’ name, amen.