Colossians 2:14, “He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”
Aside from church or among Christians do you hear much about grace? It seems this world has lost this word and action.
Instead, we now live in a cancel culture. People are quick to cancel people out if their lives over the slightest mistake or even over something that happened in the distant past. If someone disagrees with you or doesn't share your ideas, they are toxic to your happiness and they must be cut out of your life. Or someone makes a mistake against you, suddenly they should be cancelled out of your life.
Imagine if the Lord treated us this way. ‘Well, they sinned again, cut our losses and let them go.’ It's actually a scary thought, knowing how you live daily, isn't it?
Look what David says in Psalm 130:3, “Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?”
Who could stand? None of us.
I am a sinner, I make mistakes daily, sometimes big (I still get frustrated, angry, hurt, and still can talk or share too much), and sometimes my mistakes are small (a negative thought or two crosses my mind, I am more wasteful of my time over spending time with God).
Truth is, no one is faultless even when they are trying. This is the price we pay for living on this earth, since the fall of man.
If anyone deserves to be canceled, it's all of us. We should not be worthy enough to approach the Throne, let alone stand before it. But, by one act of love, we have been offered something extraordinary, forgiveness through Jesus.
We can never measure up to the perfect standard of God's law, we will always fall short. We stand guilty before God as sinners, carrying a debt that can't be paid.
But the Lord won't cancel us, He won't wipe us off the face of the earth. Instead, He chose to wipe away our record of sins and pay our debt with nails on the cross. Our balance paid with His life. This is grace, this is the greatest act of grace in the history of the universe.
One of the best definitions of grace is: grace is God's favor lavished on the utterly undeserving.
Are we not all utterly undeserving? Have we not all failed God in our lives? Who have you canceled out of your life because they've upset your apple cart?
Maybe you've heard about grace so many times that it's become stale to you. Yet our world is growing more and more away from God, and I believe we all could hear the message of grace now more than ever and remember the best way to extend grace to others is as Christ has extended grace to us.
But…. How do you give grace when it's to others who have hurt you or let you down. How can you be kind to those who are unkind?
Let's begin by looking at this definition: grace is going out of your way to give compassion, kindness, and love to someone even if they may not appreciate it or return the favor.
We extend grace because God has extended us grace, even to those who don't love Him as He loves them. We extend grace because everything from achievements to daily blessings is God's gift to us out of love and we are to love like He loves. Jesus has asked us to forgive, love, and be kind, even when it's tough. We give grace not to gain something in return but because God shows us love daily. Waking up each day, having a car to drive to a job, having food on the table and running water is because God gives us grace. We must be better not bitter and so we extend grace to others as God does for us.
So, how can we give grace to others?
Through forgiveness. This is a tough one when we feel others don't deserve it. When we've been deeply hurt and there are lasting scars. The Bible teaches us that forgiving others connects with God's forgiveness of us. Extending forgiveness releases the weight of resentment, guilt, and pain and allows us to move forward with joy and peace.
It may take time to forgive and will require strength and reliance on God's grace. Forgiveness frees others from their mistakes and helps you become who God intended you to be.
Through our words. Proverbs 15:4 clearly tells us our words have a profound impact on others. Our words can uplift, inspire, or wound and discourage. People remember our words and how they made them feel. Grace should come from our words even in tough situations. You may be the only ‘Bible’ someone reads, showing them God's love and grace.
Giving grace by letting go. Even in challenging circumstances our act of grace can be transforming. Grace is letting go of past hurts, grievances, and negative experiences. Stop taking everything personally and realize we all have unique perspectives. Letting go can be painful but when grace is extended there is room for healing, growth, and new connections.
The path of grace isn't always easy, but it is life changing. We are tasked with embodying Christ’s love and grace in all situations. Giving grace is not a weakness but a testament to our willingness to extend love, forgiveness, and compassion, even to those we deem unworthy.
Remember, each of us has been receiving grace through Jesus, even though we are unworthy.
Romans 12:15 urges us to live at peace with everyone. Grace fosters harmony and healing. Let's all mirror Christ’s love and find joy and freedom in a grace filled life. Allow God's grace to start in your heart and let it overflow into the life around you.
As we close the year let's finish our study through the scriptures and see what God is telling us or leading us into the new year. Today we will finish our study Anchored in Christ with God's promises.
Study 7, Anchored in God's Promises- https://www.docdroid.net/ghptTm3/lesson-7-docx
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