So many things have conspired of late to bring me to a deeper and deeper understanding of one of the least understood but most incredible things that God offers freely to all. I’m talking about His amazing grace. Once you’ve experienced it, nothing else even comes close.
First, being a self described “sermon junky,” there are always ten or twelve different preachers rotating on and off my list of favorite podcasts. Well, lately it seems like nearly every series and message I ‘randomly’ stumble across is focused on God’s amazing grace.
Next, there have been countless stories over the last two years of my life where I have witnessed the redeeming and life transforming power of grace in the lives of friends and family.
Finally—and I saved the best for last—I have experienced God’s powerful grace in my own life over and over again as I receive the blessings of God even though I don’t deserve such favor—none of us does.
And finally, I’ve learned at least three very specific things about God’s grace that I’ll be sharing in a this series. Here’s the first one…
Grace isn’t really grace until you give it away.
That’s right. If you’ve been on the receiving end of God’s amazing grace then you can’t help but extend that same grace to others in your life. To not do so would be tantamount to carrying around the cure for Ebola and keeping it to yourself while thousands around you suffered and died. That’s not grace. That’s selfishness and murder.
So, grace must be returned like the serve in tennis. On the other hand, if you and I keep getting aced by God’s amazing grace and never return it to others in our lives, eventually the game will be over and grace will no longer be served up. I’m not talking about the grace that forever flows from the heart God’s steadfast love toward those who have embraced His Son as Lord and Savior—that spigot never runs dry. No, I’m referring to the incredible gift of saving grace that remains unopened by millions day after day, year after year. That’s beyond foolish—it’s a sin. Hebrews 10:26seems to speak about the consequences of ignoring so wonderful a gift…
“ If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,…”
So, no, God’s amazing grace would never go unreturned. Grace that isn’t given away is not grace at all.