Grace Revealed

Welcome. I'm so pleased you dropped by. You never know what I might have for you.What if I was to offer you a Free Gift today? After all, who can resist a present? 

Depends on the gift, you might say - especially if you are always having to throw out the unwanted junk mail paraphernalia that usually comes with large strings attached from unsolicited companies.

Besides, you don't know me.
Sounds suspicious, right?

Nothing is really free, is it? 
Everything has a cost and a price to pay.

How would you react if someone you didn't know offered you a free gift? Like this possibly:

• With suspicion
• Derision
• Hostility
• Rejection
• Disbelief
• Curiosity
• Intrigue

Some of you may be tempted by the offer. And if you held it in your hands you might sniff, shake, feel it carefully, look for a label, admire the wrapping and even want to open it to reveal the contents as curiosity got the better of you. 

Usually a gift indicates that someone has thought about and wants to bless us. For it is only in examining The Gift that we can judge its worth

Well, you will be relieved to know I don't have a dodgy free gift to offer you. My poetry and prose are the only gifts I am offering here today.

But I can point you to the Greatest Gift that God has to offer us. The offer of Salvation, Forgiveness, Restoration, Renewal, Healing and Transformation.

The best news is : It's Free

"For God so greatly loved and dearly prized that world that He even gave up His only begotten unique Son, so that whoever believes in, trusts in, clings to, relies on Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal everlasting life." ~ John 3:16 Amplified

In my Introduction to the series of Grace Notes I mentioned that the word 'grace' means 'unmerited favour' amongst other things. I cannot go any further with this topic without speaking about how God best reveals His grace to us through His Son.

We have all fallen short and missed the mark of the standard God desires for our lives. There was nothing and no-one else good enough to pay the price needed to restore us to a right relationship with Him -  apart from the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can boast." ~ Ephesians 2:9

This is Grace Revealed indeed:God's Riches At Christ's Expense

The poem below offers further insight into this amazing grace:

'Grace' 

Light in our darkness

hand clasping hand -

healing, forgiveness

a line in the sand

Suffering and Sorrow

impaled to a cross,

blood flowing freely

our gain - Your loss

Heaven's gate opened,

for our sin debt You died.

Now given entry

as You're crucified

Dawn breaking forth
in glorious array.

Tomb standing empty -

Resurrection Day

Risen, ascended,

a New Era starts;

Your Spirit now dwelling

within human hearts

©JoyLenton2012

"I asked Jesus, 'How much do you love me?' 'This much,' he answered, and he stretched out his arms and died" ~ Anon

This leaves us with a decision to make. Do we act like babes and toddlers when given a present and show greater interest in the outer wrapping of grace but ignore the actual present and remain ignorant of the giver?

Or do we accept it, receive it with gratitude and thanksgiving and learn to prize it as the best gift ever?

Yes, it does come with a price to pay. Jesus laid down His life for us and expects us to surrender ours to Him  in return. This is a gradual, life-time process. But the rewards are enormous. We will be looking at more of the attributes and benefits of grace in the weeks ahead.

For now, this is a tantalising glimpse of The Gift and The Giver to reflect upon as we close with a prayer:

Dear Father,

As we reflect upon Your grace we are overwhelmed by the great love 

and compassion you have toward us in sending Jesus to die for our sins.

 Thank you that He died to give everybody an opportunity to get to know You and experience the abundant life You have planned and long for us to enjoy as we surrender our lives to Him. We can only have a limited understanding in this life of the great Divine Exchange. Help us to see more and to fully appreciate the blessings we have in relationship with You as You lead and guide us each day.

Amen

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