Grace. Got plenty. And you do, too. Enough to give to those who need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grace is the tagline of the Christian faith. But what is it? The New Compact Bible Dictionary<\/em> notes that biblical writers used the term with a variety of meanings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of us don\u2019t think about the meaning or even claim to understand it. We just know God extended it and we are grateful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grace is the cornerstone of reconciliation, bringing sinful man into relationship with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scanning my Bible concordance, I noticed most of the references to grace are in the writings of Apostle Paul. This persecutor of Christians knew what it meant to receive grace. It changed his direction and his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\nScanning my Bible concordance, I noticed most of the references to grace are in the writings of Apostle Paul. This persecutor of Christians knew what it meant to receive grace. It changed his direction and his life. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n He wrote this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut God\u2014so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ\u2019s salvation).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor it is by free grace (God\u2019s unmerited favor) that you are ye saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ\u2019s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God\u201d (Ephesians 2:4-8 Amplified).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s what God\u2019s grace did for us. So I\u2019m thinking about how my<\/em> grace impacts my daily relationships. Because God lavished his grace on me when I didn\u2019t deserve it, I can lavish it on others, even when they don\u2019t deserve it. Easy to say\u2026sometimes hard to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBecause God lavished his grace on me when I didn\u2019t deserve it, I can lavish it on others, even when they don\u2019t deserve it. Easy to say\u2026sometimes hard to practice. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n Grace has a companion that helps us here. Mercy. \u201cForbearance from inflicting punishment\u2026That compassion which causes one to help the weak, the sick or the poor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul offers instruction. \u201cClothe yourselves therefore, as God\u2019s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and longsuffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony]\u201d (Colossians 3:12-14 Amplified).<\/p>\n\n\n\n That high standard is to be typical behavior for Christ-followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I\u2019m thinking\u2026are there relationships that need my grace and mercy today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grace. Got plenty. Enough to give away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please share how extending grace and mercy changed a relationship in your life. And I\u2019d be grateful if you would share this article with your friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a9 Dianne Barker 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Grace. Got plenty. And you do, too. Enough to give to those who need it. Grace is the tagline of the Christian faith. But what is it? The New Compact Bible Dictionary notes that biblical writers used the term with a variety of meanings: \u201cthat which affords joy, pleasure, delight, charm, sweetness, loveliness\u201d \u201cgood will, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[554,165,556,555,438,557],"class_list":["post-1362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-dianne-barkerr","tag-forgiveness","tag-freely-giving-what-we-freely-received","tag-grace","tag-living-the-maximum-life","tag-mercy"],"yoast_head":"\n