Glorying in Grace

Every once in awhile God will begin to highlight a really key area in my life. Then, so I don't miss it, he will bring a ton of confrontations and intersections with that truth. For me, right now, it seems to be "grace". I know that I have a theological definition of that word and can articulate clearly that "Grace is God's riches at Christ's expense" or "Grace is God's unmerited favor towards me". These definitions are seeming too trite to me recently. They are simple and easy to remember -- maybe too simple.

I hope that your understanding and appreciation of grace is growing as you study and search the Scriptures to understand what God is doing and how the doctrine of grace fits into that picture. The prophets, as they wrote Scripture, understood that God had a still-to-be-revealed plan. They got a whiff of it and couldn't get it out of their systems. They knew that smell -- it was a beautiful fragrance -- it was a scent of hope and empowerment and faith to handle whatever hardness that they might face -- it was "grace".

See if this lexicon definition of GRK charis helps you appreciate grace any more!

1. grace -- that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
2. good will, loving-kindness, favour -- of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
3. what is due to grace -- the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace; the token or proof of grace, benefit
4. thanks (for benefits, services, favours) -- recompense, reward

Then read 1 Peter 1:13-16 to see how grace affects us:

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

So my definition is growing.

Grace is anything beautiful that you see in my life, which is exclusively the result of God's gift to me because He loves me dearly; I receive more of it every day as I place my trust in Him and He, in turn, conforms my heart towards His and away from my own fleshly desires.

And yet, this is still probably still too simple. I am willing to continue studying and growing in my appreciation of grace. This is one study that I am convinced I will never grow tired of.

Bathed in grace, the fragrance of Christ for men,
Mike