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What is grace?

What does grace do?

Titus 2:11-14 CSB For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.

Believers throughout all the earth struggle to get a grip on the concept of grace. To some, it appears to be fluffy and airy-fairy. Others consider it a free license to the believer to do as he pleases. Some think preachers should preach more on grace; others want preachers to rather focus on truth than on grace.

Grace is free, but it’s not cheap. Christ paid with His life to break the stronghold of sin and death over humanity. Grace is redemption at its very best. Grace is the enabling power of God moving through the believer to empower him to do what he cannot and could not do on his own. Paul is often considered some sort of rock-star Christian because he wrote most of the New Testament. Yet, even Paul describes his frustration at wanting to do one thing, yet ending up doing something else.

The wonder of being included in the death and resurrection of Christ implies that the believer no longer has to try and be victorious in his own strength and his own ability. Instead, the Holy Spirit takes us by the hand and leads us in every dimension of life. As we depend on Him and indeed draw our strength from Him, He empowers us to make wise decisions. He empowers us to deny our old life and the appetites connected to that old life. Instead, he makes us passionate to do what is beautiful and wholesome in His eyes.

As we continue to behold Him and remind ourselves who we truly are, carnal desires lose their grip on us. Intimacy with Him enables us to make choices that honor Him and empower us for godly living.

Action Steps:  

• Identify an area of your own life that needs God’s grace today.  
• Ask Holy Spirit to reveal His truth in this area of your life.