MONDAY 20TH FEB.,2017

TOPIC: UNDERSTANDING GRACE
TEXT: Romans 5:17 “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ….”

Grace is God’s initiative, love and favour that make possible our salvation in Christ as we receive Him. It is therefore a qualifier of everything God has given us. It is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-12). Also from the standpoint of the source of grace, it is recorded in Scriptures, that Jesus Christ is Grace and Truth (Jn 1:17). This is limited to Jesus’ life and ministry? You may be surprised to know that Jesus never used the word itself. He just taught it and, equally important, He lived it. Furthermore, the Bible never gives us a one statement definition, though grace appears throughout its pages not only the word itself but numerous demonstrations of it. Understanding what grace means also requires our going back to an old Hebrew term that meant “to bend, to stoop.” By and by, it came to include the idea of “condescending favor.”

If you have traveled to the Uk (London), you may have perhaps seen royalty. If so, you may have noticed sophistication, aloofness and distance. On occasions, royalty in England will make the news because someone in the ranks of nobility will stop, kneel down, and touch or bless a commoner. That resembles grace. There is nothing in the commoner that deserves being noticed or touched or blessed by the royal family. On account of grace in the heart of the queen, there is the desire at that moment to pause, to stoop, to touch and even to bless. A renowned late pastor and Bible scholar captured grace as “Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace.” To show grace is to extend favor or kindness to someone who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. Receiving God’s acceptance by grace always stands in sharp contrast to earning it on the basis of works. Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver. Receiving God’s acceptance by grace stands in sharp contrast to working for it. Apostles Paul declares by the spirit of grace in 1 Cor. 15:10. Have you truly received the abundance of grace in Christ? It makes all the difference and crushes problems and mountains (Zech. 4:7). Don’t negotiate today.

MEDITATION: Eph. 2:4-7, 4:7

BIBLE STUDY
Exodus 3; Luke 6; Job 20; 1 Cor. 7