"See to it that no one misses the grace of God." ~Hebrews 12:15
Lucado begins the book by talking about a grace-shaped life and asking the question: "Have you been changed by grace? Shaped by grace? Strengthened by grace? Emboldened by grace? Softened by grace?" Lucado describes grace as a spiritual heart transplant. When we give our heart to Christ, he returns the favour. What a strong visual that is.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you." ~Ezekiel 36:26
Lucado also gives us an image of our God being a God who stoops. He quotes John Stott in saying, "Grace is God loving, God stooping, God coming to the rescue, God giving himself generously in and through Jesus Christ." Many times in the Bible we see Jesus stooping. He stoops when he meets the woman caught in adultery. He stooped to wash the feet of the disciples. He stooped to embrace children, pull Peter out of the sea and He stooped to carry the cross. There are countless images in the Bible of our God stooping as He showed grace to His people.
Lucado reminds us that we all stumble and we all makes mistakes but that Jesus acted on our behalf. He stooped and in His unconditional love He showered us with His mercy and His grace. What an example for us to follow.
"Let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith because we have been made free from a guilty conscience," ~Hebrews 10:22 NCV
Lucado reminds us that our conscience is clean, our heart is clean and we are free from condemnation. "Not just for our past mistakes but also for our future ones." What an amazing gift that our God offers us. And while he offers this to us, doesn't it make us want to live to be people who live better? People who love better? People who extend grace because of the grace that has been extended to us?
Lucado reminds the reader that we are all sinners. He uses another visual - one os us sitting on a jail floor awaiting the final moment where we will face the executioner. However, when this moment comes, we are told that we are free to go and that Jesus took our place. That is GRACE! Christ doesn't overlook our sins. "He instead found a way to punish the sin and preserve the sinner." Jesus took our punishment. GRACE! When we truly understand that Jesus died for us. That He took our place on the cross. How can we not be in awe of Christ? How can we not say thank you by living our life for Him?
In today's world, we seem to be tired all the time. We are a tired generation. We live life trying to achieve. Trying to do more and more. Lucado reminds us to rest. That in Jesus we find this rest, "Come to me, all who are perfect and sinless." No, that is not that He says, He says, "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden,and I will give you rest." ~Matthew 11:28 NASB
Who of you lives without hurt? I am sure each of you reading this would agree that none of us can raise our hand to this. We are a hurting people. And hurt people hurt people - sometimes deliberately and sometimes without meaning to. "To accept grace is to accept the vow to give it." Easier said than done, right? When we think of times in our life where we had a difficult time extending grace, it is likely because forgiveness hasn't happened. Am I right? We find it easier to hold a grudge and live with unforgiveness than we do to forgive and show grace as Jesus modelled for us. "Where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds. Where grace abounds, forgiveness grows." This doesn't happen overnight but it happens when we choose to let it start with us. Let go of the bitterness and resentment and begin to show grace and allow forgiveness to come.
I have a friend who in his life lives to remind people that they are a masterpiece. I often get messages from him reminding me that I am an absolute precious beautiful masterpiece. And that Terry and the kids are as well. Lucado writes that God sees in you a masterpiece about to happen and takes us through the story of Naomi and Ruth and the grace that Boaz bestows.
Lucado goes on to talk about confession and how important it is to honestly confess our sins to God - it isn't as if he doesn't already know. He describes confession as "a radical reliance on grace." Putting our trust in Him and His goodness, knowing that His grace is greater than our sin. Confession isn't always easy as it completely makes us vulnerable with God and often with others.
"Sustaining grace meets us at our point of need and equips us with courage, wisdom, and strength." What a beautiful picture of being carried by God and the grace that He has that is sustaining; that is sufficient. His power is evident and can help give us a sense of peace amidst the storms of life. This reminds me of a visual I cam across this week:
We need to trust in our salvation to have peace and to truly grasp the grace given by God. Without it, we don't have peace. We don't have joy. We live in fear. Lucado tells us that this is not the life God created for you to live. That we can be confident in should when we accept and experience the grace God offers. Let this grace be yours and let it comfort you. Let Christ hold you in the palm of His hand.
"You'll be changed from the inside out...God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." ~Romans 12:2 The Message
Grace is a precious gift because Jesus Christ who was born is a precious gift for each of us. Because Christ changes lives, so does grace. Grace does indeed change everything. God gives us the gift of grace. "A grace that grants us first the power to received love and then the power to give it. A grace that changes us, shapes us, and leads us to a life that is enterally altered." All God asks of us is for faith.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." ~Ephesians 2:8-9
Let God do His work. Allow grace to trump your mistakes. Allow the work of His hands to make you a new creation. Defined by Christ, not defined by your failures but "refined by them." GRACE. Let it seep into the depths of your soul. Allow God to change you so that you truly see yourself as an absolute precious beautiful masterpiece.
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