Are you a sinner? Do you need grace? I am and I most certainly do. We’d like to skip the reality that we are sinners. We’d like to escape from all the ugly stuff in life and live in a la-la land. But it doesn’t work. There is no way around it: we are all sinners! And only the blood of Jesus can save us! So, yes, we do need Jesus. Our lives depend on God’s grace! Lord, have mercy!

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:22-24, NIV)

The same text proclaims grace but if we do not know from what we are freed we really don’t value grace. We need to look at the mirror and see what we are. We are sinners in serious need of grace. If we confess our sins and repent we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We still are sinners but now we are also forgiven. We are forgiven sinners. We always need to keep these two words together. If we focus on being sinners we might get desperate. If we focus on being forgiven we might lean on misusing grace. Lord, have mercy!

We also need to remember that when we are forgiven from something we are also forgiven for something. Through grace we are made right with God. But that’s not the end of it. We are not free to do whatever we like. Through grace we are instead empowered for living in grace. And that does not mean sitting on our hands. Just like repenting is not just feeling sorry for our sins but taking action – by God’s grace – for the right direction, we are freed for becoming God’s change-agents in this world. We are sent to love and serve in radical ways. Do you dare to ask God what it means in your life? Go right ahead. Being in God’s will is the safest place in the world. You will never be short-changed. The more we love, the more love we receive. The more grace we extend, the more grace we receive. Soli Deo Gloria!

 

Gracious God,
Forgive our sins, our prideful ways.
Come and live in our hearts.
Thank you for the joy of salvation!
Empower us to live in your grace.
Equip us to love and serve you.
Dwell in us every day of our lives.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Giving thanks today for

#1 God’s abundant, never-ending grace!
#2 The rest that comes through God’s grace.
#3 The power that comes through God’s grace.
#4 The joy that comes through God’s grace.
#5 The chain of hearts linked through grace.
#6 The work God is doing within us.
#7 The gift of prayer & people praying without ceasing.

Q4U: What kind of thoughts Reformation Day brings into your heart and mind?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you dare to embrace God’s will for your life!

Image courtesy of Krystian Jaskula. Linking up with Sharing His Beauty &