The best thing of Christmas is as true today as it was on the birthday of Jesus: Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Because of Jesus we have hope, we have grace, we have joy. The free gift of Christ keeps giving. Grace will never be old-fashioned or out of touch. We can’t do anything that gets us out of reach of grace. We just need to remember to turn back to God. We need to reclaim grace day after day.

But the free gift of Christ isn’t like Adam’s failure. If many people died through what one person did wrong, God’s grace is multiplied even more for many people with the gift—of the one person Jesus Christ—that comes through grace. The gift isn’t like the consequences of one person’s sin. The judgment that came from one person’s sin led to punishment, but the free gift that came out of many failures led to the verdict of acquittal. (Romans 5: 15-16, CEB)

Christ is so much more powerful to save than Adam was to destroy. We need to grasp grace with both hands. God’s life-giving gift of grace recovers our lives. Grace deals with our pasts, regrets, failures, and sins. Whatever is bothering you today, give it to God, beg for grace through Jesus and God will grant you grace and peace. We can’t save ourselves. We can’t heal ourselves. We can’t reform our lives. But God can. God’s power to reform is out of this world.

If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides? (Romans 5: 17, MSG)

God’s grace is powerful but it is not automatic. We need to continually remain in relationship to Jesus. We need Christ. We need grace. Like Spurgeon has stated “It is not thy hold on Christ that saves thee; it is Christ. It is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee; it is Christ. It is not even thy faith in Christ, though that be the instrument; it is Christ’s blood and merit.” We need Christ every day of our lives. We need to remain in Christ. We need to remain in grace. Because when we look deeper it is all grace.

And now, little children, remain in relationship to Jesus, so that when h appears we can have confidence and not be ashamed in front of him when he comes. If you know that he is righteous, you also know that every person who practices righteousness is born from him. (1 John 2: 28-29, CEB)

 

Gracious God,
We want to reclaim grace,
recover our lives through grace,
and always remain in grace.
Give us your grace, power, and peace!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How have you experienced the power of grace?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim as you live and move in grace!

Image courtesy of Jimmy Paragas. Linking up today with What’s on Your Heart Tuesdays & Soli Deo Gloria and One Word at a Time: Recover Blog Carnival.