UNDESERVED FAVOR (Part II)

UNDESERVED FAVOR (Part II)

 GRACE may be defined as the manifestation of favor by a superior, which is characterized by mercy, pardon and goodwill.  Grace refers to the free and unmerited act of GOD by which He restores His estranged creations to Himself. (Ephesians 2:8)  It's absolutely amazing!

 At the heart of Christianity’s doctrine of grace is the reality of original sin, i.e. that we humans had fallen from our first estate of full fellowship with the Father by deliberate acts of rebellion and disobedience.  We had been purposefully created in the very image of God, but we lost that image by the willful decision to elevate satanic deception over and above the eternal truth of our Creator. (Genesis 3:1-24)

 Grace opens the portal to forgiveness, but we humans were absolutely powerless to either EARN forgiveness or RESTORE our intimate fellowship with the Father.  We had sinned willfully against the directives of our Creator, therefore we became eligible recipients of “the wages of sin,” which means death, i.e. spiritual separation from God along with physical mortality. (Romans 6:23)

 It is important to note that our sinful acts created a terrible dilemma between the JUSTICE OF GOD and the MERCY OF GOD.  While the justice of God demands a death sentence for willful rebellion to His clearly stated commands, the mercy of God mobilizes a divine intervention of love, mercy, pardon and reconciliation.  

JESUS CHRIST becomes the gracious and efficacious solution to the awful dilemma that had been caused by us.  As a MORTAL MAN, Jesus Christ was “born in the likeness of sinful flesh,” and therefore had to proactively resist the human tendency toward rebellion and sin. (Romans 8:3) However, as GOD INCARNATE, Jesus Christ possessed both the ability and spiritual authority to resist satanic temptation, so He lived a righteous life and eventually endured our just punishment (vicariously on Calvary’s cross), thereby freeing us from condemnation, captivity, destruction and death. (Hebrews 12:2)

 After declaring “it is finished” and giving up the ghost, Jesus was immediately buried in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea with the assistance of Nicodemus. (John 19:30-42) The scriptures inform us that Jesus thereafter descended into the lower chambers of hell to snatch away the keys to death, hell and the grave from our arch- “adversary” and “accuser.” (Revelation 1:18 – I Peter 5:8 – Revelation 12:10) In a word, Jesus Christ went to hell in our name, so we could go to Heaven in His name.  And then He rose from the grave with “all power in Heaven and earth” in His hands. (Matthew 28:18) Hallelujah, what a Savior!

 Today, we humans are confronted with a monumental life-or-death choice, to either cooperate with the grace of God, thereby gaining eternal life, or to stubbornly resist His benevolent plan of salvation, thereby confirming our eligibility for eternal punishment. (Joshua 24:15)

 GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR US.  This means that His grace is always ‘enough’ to save, sanctify, satisfy and sustain us, despite our human frailty and weaknesses. (II Corinthians 12:9) This means that God’s supernatural strength is paradoxically perfected within the deepest dregs of human weakness.  To wit, we are enabled (BY HIS POWER) to make effective affirmations of faith that run contrary to our human perceptions, emotions and senses.  Through faith in Christ, the weak can boldly SAY “I am strong!”  By this faith, the sick can confidently DECLARE “I am well!”  And by this faith, the poor can expectantly DECREE “I am rich!” (Philippians 4:13)

 One of the more interesting aspects of grace was taught to the Body of Christ by the Wesley brothers, John and Charles.  They often spoke of “PREVENIENT GRACE,” which simply means that long before we became conscious of our dire need for salvation, GOD was proactively working behind-the-scenes of our lives to bring us to the point of salvation and surrender.  He accomplished this by deploying a wide array of words, witnesses, relationships and life-situations that spoke both subtly and powerfully of His love, mercy and grace.  In truth, none of us ‘found’ God.  Rather, HE found us – so we are especially and eternally grateful. (Deuteronomy 32:10)

 It’s His unmerited mercy…it’s our undeserved favor…and it goes by the name of AMAZING GRACE!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!