Wednesday, May 8, 2024

What comes to mind when you think of grace? It is a word we often hear in church and Christian circles, but many do not fully grasp its meaning. Grace is God’s gift of forgiveness, given freely to us through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. His death paid the debt for our sins and laid the foundation for an eternal relationship with God.

Before Jesus, we see humanity needing to offer sacrifices to God to atone for their sins. Jesus was sent as our Savior because God loved his creation and knew we could never do enough to earn his favor. God’s grace, alone, freed us from our sins and led to him adopting us into his family.

We were created to enjoy an eternal relationship with God, not to religiously follow a set of laws. Yes, there are rules, but they were created—out of love—to safeguard us and keep us holy (Exodus 20, Luke 10:26-28).

Think about it this way: As children, our parents established rules, like a curfew, to prevent us from getting hurt. They were created, because of us, to keep us safe. Our parents did not have children for the purpose of fulfilling these rules. Similarly, humans were created for more than obeying God’s laws.

Sometimes “religion” overemphasizes rules and can get in the way of us accepting God’s grace and pursuing a relationship with him. This does not mean we should do whatever we want because we have grace. Rather, it is relearning why God created us in the first place—out of love.

This grace inspires us to imitate God’s love and goodness (Galatians 5:22-23). When we see ourselves as God’s children and know that we are safe in his family, it develops our character and creates in us a desire to follow the example Jesus provided. We learn that we will not be kicked out of God’s Kingdom, because we have already been forgiven for our mistakes—past, present, and future. Instead, we can learn from them and continue to grow in God’s character.

Let us go about our days knowing there is nothing that can separate us from God. We are safe and secure as his sons and daughters forevermore.

Ephesians 5:1
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

Questions:
How can we imitate God’s character in daily life?

Why is the gift of grace so significant?

Next Steps:
Make plans to join a Group for the Summer Semester to connect with a like-minded community of Jesus followers who will show you the love and grace of God. The Groups directory will open May 25th.

Consider baptism to declare your faith in Jesus and to publicly show your adoption into God’s family.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for showing me your grace each day. May I never take your grace for granted. Encourage me to show your love to those around me, and remind me that religion is not about a set of rules to follow. It is about a grace-filled, eternal relationship with you. Help me to exemplify your image and grow in the fruit of the Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Romans 6:14
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

This post was written by Isabelle Billnitzer, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.