My Grace Is Sufficient
Welcome, Friends, to another week. As usual, many thoughts ran through my head, especially early morning. Usually, I start with one thought; however, by the time I have penned my blog, another one hits me, which seems more extensive than the first. I am sure some of you may identify with these episodes. Throughout the week, I thought about grace and mercy—neither of which we deserve; however, God is faithful.
During my earlier days, I accepted a position as a telemarketer selling several products. The days were long and stressful. We had to attempt to reach a pre-determined goal of the day. In return, the company awarded prizes, which were never anything significant. Many people hung up on me or could not afford to purchase the product. Therefore, sometimes after lengthy sales pitches, many calls ended in disappointment. Some salespeople became hateful, rude, and very competitive. Unlike sales, God does not ask for anything in return. He does not need our pitch. Nor can we earn enough credits, do enough great deeds or season our language with flattering words. Nothing we do earns our way into Heaven. Contrary to popular belief, I am a good person; I give to the poor; attend church regularly; pray for others continuously, or perform other services, do not grant free passes to Heaven. We can't do enough good work to earn grace or mercy. Though once saved, we become obedient which becomes our reasonable service. (Romans 12:1).
The companies I worked with enticed prospective clients with gifts. However, there were strings or terms attached; for example, the customer may have had to purchase an extra item; or pay postage fees to receive or return the item. Many companies still require buyers to accept the terms of the agreement, which is multiple pages of fine print, as we say. God also has terms; first, God's gift is free without any strings attached. The Bible is the terms of the agreement, such as believing and obeying Christ. However, his word is not burdensome (1 John 5:3); in other words, we will obey God because we love him, not because we have to obey. He says, "My grace is sufficient" We don't need anything else. (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Grace means we do not do anything to earn anything. We do not have to pay anything in return or accept three pages of terms. Though we do not deserve grace, God gives it to us when we need it. (Hebrews 4:14-16). We can always pray to Christ when our battles get out of control. His grace sustains us through everything we face. (Romans 3:22-24). Grace saves us by Jesus's gift on the cross and makes us holy through Jesus' sacrifice. (Hebrews 10:10). We began our Christian lives as babies, however along the way, we grow in grace and knowledge as we mature. Grace helps in this process. (Ephesians 2:8)
God's terms are simple and to the point. His agreement means we don't have to be perfect. He allows mistakes. We do not have to attempt to earn enough points for salvation, such as reciting large amounts of prayers, confessing sins, attending church regularly (we should- Hebrews 10:25), and participating in other activities promoting the church or its people. None of us are: first, without sin (Romans 3:23), and two, we cannot perform enough good work to earn salvation (Titus 3:5). Essentially, our best foot forward earns us nothing but success in our own right. Before accepting the gift of salvation, our lives were a mess. Our directional compass was not operational, and our instruction manual was faulty. However, God knew us before birth and every detail concerning our lives, so he sent his son to die for our sins- past, present, and future. (John 3:16)
Paul's gospel is the gold standard, as I call it. Once we believe this verse from the heart, God saves us from wrath. They read: Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
I hope this blog is a blessing to all who search for Christ. His love is unmatched and will always continue. He offers salvation- no questions asked. I'd love to hear from you. Please email me at mailto:dorothy@savedheartfaith.com or mailto:dburrell38@yahoo.com I hope you have a great week. Please do not forget to visit YouTube for the shortened companion video to this blog. Thanks for stopping by.
