As Intended

My sister and I had given some money to a family member as a gift, so they could replace something they had lost. Well, they didn't use the money for what we had intended it be used for, and I have to admit, that bothered me a little. I suppose it wouldn't have been so bad if we hadn't said that it was to replace that item in particular. It felt somewhat like a misuse of our generosity, at least to me.

Then I had a thought: don't we misuse God's gifts, His generosity, to us? What I was thinking of especially was His grace. Many Christians believe, as I used to, that God's grace is there only to cover up our deformities; that it is because of His grace that we may do as we please and still be saved. In all actuality, such a mentality is an abuse of this wonderful gift.

Paul writes in Romans 5:20-21: "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

But is this grace that abounds there to give us license to do anything?

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2). He goes on to say that if we were baptized, we are dead to sin, and that we are not to yield to sin, but to God's will (vv. 3-13). "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid" (vv.14-15). He continues by saying that we are servants to whomever we choose to obey. If we choose to sin, we are servants of the devil; if we choose to do right, we are God's servants.

However, we need His strength to choose to do right and to do it. That is part of what His grace is there for. It is by His grace that a dual miracle takes place; firstly, the miracle of justification, or in other words, being forgiven past sins and declared innocent because of Christ's sacrifice (Romans 3:24), and secondly, the miracle of sanctification, or the miracle of being able to live right in the future. This is seen over and over in the Bible. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16, emphasis supplied). "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear": (Hebrews 12:28, emphasis supplied).

As we can see, grace is there to cleanse us and enable us to serve the God we love in the way that He desires us, not to release us from duty. May we all then start using this great gift as God intended, and be what He wants us to be!


Blessings,
Jean