I experienced grace this morning. I go to a group gym every Monday and Friday. This time I had forgotten to reserve my place. There I was ready to exercise and my name was not on the list. Somehow I had not even realized I had forgotten it. Needless to say I felt frustrated and stupid. But the trainer extended me grace and allowed me in without reservation. It felt very, very good. It was undeserved grace, pure and simple.

That’s how God’s grace feels too.
That’s how it feels to be accepted as you are.
That’s how it feels to receive grace when you don’t deserve it.

Why then do we so often detain grace? We push it away and are determined to succeed on our own. We think of it as our last resource and are certain we will have time to make reservations for eternity. But what if life gets in the way and we simply forget? What if we don’t have as much time as we think we do?

God is gracious and he has done everything for us. Yet it’s still up to us to want his grace. We need grace to get our name on the Book of Life. Don’t detain grace. Don’t delay it. Don’t forget to ask for it. You need it to enter God’s kingdom.

For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s 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; ⁹ Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] (Eph. 2:8-9, AMP.*)

Don’t detain grace. Receive it today. Let it permeate every inch of your core being. Because it will feel marvelous to be at the pearly gate and find your name on the Book of Life. (And I’d like to meet you at Jesus’ feet.)

 

Gracious God,
Thanks for calling me unto you.
Forgive me for delaying grace.
I love you, I love grace.
Don’t let me ever deny or delay grace.
I want my name to be on the Book of Life.
I want to spend eternity with you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Do you have your name on the Book of Life?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you embrace grace daily!

Photo courtesy of Joel Joseph,design Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty, Unforced Rhythms, Playdates with God.