In Touch - Jan. 9, 2009

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Published Jan 08, 2009

Friday January 9
Our God of Grace
Ephesians 2:4-5

Grace is God’s favor and love shown to mankind. We cannot earn it or ever be good enough to deserve it. To truly appreciate His grace, we need to comprehend certain truths about Him and ourselves.

First, God is perfectly holy, so He cannot allow sin in His presence. When Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree, their intimate connection with Him was broken. Since all future generations inherited their sinful nature, every person is born with a disposition that is bent away from the Lord.

Next, God’s character is just. As a result, He requires payment for all sins. The penalty He demands is death (Rom. 6:23), not just physically but also spiritually through eternal separation from Him.

Finally, we have a merciful God who does not treat us as our actions deserve but instead extends His grace toward us. He devised a plan that would affirm His holy nature, satisfy His justice, and enable us to become members of His family: He sent His Son to accomplish our salvation. Born as a human being, Jesus lived a perfect life and completely fulfilled the Law. He alone qualified as the one who could satisfy divine justice. Christ took our place, bore our sins, and experienced God’s wrath over our rebellion—all so that we could be reconciled to the Father.

God made this provision for our salvation while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8). Have you acknowledged your sinful state and received His forgiveness through faith in Jesus? If so, are you expressing ongoing thankfulness for His grace?

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The Life Principles Bible