How Amazing is God’s Grace?

After a 29 day fast I found myself more hungry than ever for the truth of God’s Word. I wanted a new revelation. You know something earth shaking. But what I got was a very old one that may have been forgotten by many. The CROSS is God’s focal point of LOVE!

A lot of people preach about God’s love and grace these days, myself included. It is not that they are not important, but sometimes we might have some ideas about it that are lacking certain fundamental truths. I am bothered when I hear people say God loves us… so everyone goes to heaven. It is like we just assume that all our loved ones are in heaven, whether they have repented of sin and believed the gospel by faith with the evidence of a transformed life or not.

God’s love is given in direct correlation to the cross. God demonstrates His love for us at the cross. Those who look to the cross as their source of God’s love will never doubt His steadfast devotion to them, regardless of their circumstances. I know that sounds pretty basic. And it is. Aren’t you glad the gospel is simple? Let’s look a little deeper.

Our happiness is not evidence of God’s love; rather our joy is complete in Christ ALONE! That way when trials come into our life our joy does not leave, nor do we believe that God has forsaken us, that He no longer loves us or worse yet that He doesn’t exist.

The precious blood of Jesus was not shed just to make us happy in this life. It has a much greater function, to prepare us for the next life. Christ’s sacrifice was the source of Paul’s joy and his strength. Our deepest need, even more than to be loved, is the need to repent so we do not perish.

No one will make it to heaven trying to keep the 10 Commandments.

Galatians 2: 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

I am so eternally thankful to God for His amazing grace. He reached down one morning in 1982 and saved a wretched sinner like me. We do not comprehend this amazing grace until we recognize our great guilt. It is impossible for one to fully realize his need for God’s grace until he sees how terrible he has failed God’s standard which we find in the 10 commandments.

Romans 5: 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We may make excuses like:

Who doesn’t tell an occasional white lie?

Who hasn’t taken something that didn’t belong to someone else?

Doesn’t God love me anyway and overlook all this?

We know we’re doing wrong but our security lies in the fact that so many others are just as guilty if not more so. “The sinner said in his heart God has forgotten. He hides his face. He will never see.” Psalm 10:11

The sense of security in the fact that there are multitudes doing the same thing becomes irrelevant because every man will give an account of himself to God.

Romans 14: 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

There is a disease of sin and the only cure is the gospel. One doesn’t need a cure if he doesn’t know he has a disease. Only the sick need a physician and only those who are convinced of the disease will appreciate and appropriate the cure. When we understand the seriousness of our sins in God’s eyes we see our need for a Savior. It is conviction of personal sin that causes godly sorrow and godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation.

2 Corinthians 7: 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

The more you understand your personal guilt before God the more you appreciate this amazing grace. If you think lightly of your sin you think lightly of God’s grace.

Yes John 3:16 says that God so loved the world… but read the rest… that he GAVE HIS ONLY SON, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. I don’t know about you but that perishing part puts the FEAR of God in me.

John 3: 18 goes on to say that "He who does NOT believe is condemned already."

I ask you to open up the 10 Commandments and look deep into the well of your sinful heart. Examine your heart by the light of the 10 Laws of God. It may hurt, it will wound your ego, but it will show you how much more Jesus had to pay to set you free.

When you see the depth of your sin in the light of a perfect law it makes God’s grace truly amazing.