Grace Yourself for Impact
Grace yourself for impact
Bob Goff once said, “Grace never seems fair until you need a little.”
There’s a great difference between grace and mercy. Not to say that we confuse the two or apply them improperly, but I do want to clarify the difference. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve.
God is a merciful God who doesn’t give us what we truly deserve. He sent His only beloved Son to take the punishment for us so He can apply mercy to us. Grace, in turn, is giving us what we don’t deserve. Both are necessary. Both are applied to us. So both must be given by us as well.
Most of us are one of two different kinds of people when it comes to grace. Some of us give grace to everyone except ourselves. Others of us give grace to only ourselves. Grace works best when we apply it to everyone, including ourselves.
If freely given, grace can’t be abused. But likewise, given without change or care by the one to whom it is given, grace is abused.
Many define grace as unmerited favor. The favor of God that you did nothing to earn or deserve. Just like salvation.
Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” It is only through and by God’s grace that we even have the opportunity to be saved through faith. Grace gives the opportunity - Faith takes the opportunity.
Speaking of grace, Ephesians 2:8-9 continues by saying, “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.” Grace is a gift given freely to us therefore it should be freely given from us. Not earned. Gifts that are earned aren’t gifts.
Because grace is a gift, it is not a point of boasting or pride - it’s a point of humility. When we truly understand that grace isn’t earned, we should be truly humble to know that there is nothing anyone could ever do to deserve it from God. So there is nothing anyone can do to us or for us to deserve it from us. If we want some, if we’ve received some, then we gotta give some.
Boasting about your grace will also shackle you from serving. Grace is a gift that we receive through faith for the purpose of works.
We are saved for good works not by them.
James clears this up for us rather well in chapter 2 of his epistle. In verse 17 he says “so also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” That word “dead” in the Greek means lifeless, as in a dead body. Another way of saying that verse is that faith is required for salvation; works are required to act out the faith of salvation. Faith without works is dead. Faith without works is fruitless. Jesus did good works, so how much more do we need to? He even said that we shall do these things and more.
The impact we make on the world is not because of our faith, but because of our good works that we do because of our faith. You’re saved by grace through faith for works. That is the essence of the great commission. And the great commission is still a mission. And every mission requires action.
Faltering and failing often come with an active faith - a faith full of action. That’s why grace is a gift. It’s not if you need it, it’s when. So grace yourself for impact. And give yourself a little more grace. It’s probably about half the amount we give others…
Bob Goff once said, “Grace never seems fair until you need a little.”
There’s a great difference between grace and mercy. Not to say that we confuse the two or apply them improperly, but I do want to clarify the difference. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve.
God is a merciful God who doesn’t give us what we truly deserve. He sent His only beloved Son to take the punishment for us so He can apply mercy to us. Grace, in turn, is giving us what we don’t deserve. Both are necessary. Both are applied to us. So both must be given by us as well.
Most of us are one of two different kinds of people when it comes to grace. Some of us give grace to everyone except ourselves. Others of us give grace to only ourselves. Grace works best when we apply it to everyone, including ourselves.
If freely given, grace can’t be abused. But likewise, given without change or care by the one to whom it is given, grace is abused.
Many define grace as unmerited favor. The favor of God that you did nothing to earn or deserve. Just like salvation.
Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” It is only through and by God’s grace that we even have the opportunity to be saved through faith. Grace gives the opportunity - Faith takes the opportunity.
Speaking of grace, Ephesians 2:8-9 continues by saying, “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.” Grace is a gift given freely to us therefore it should be freely given from us. Not earned. Gifts that are earned aren’t gifts.
Because grace is a gift, it is not a point of boasting or pride - it’s a point of humility. When we truly understand that grace isn’t earned, we should be truly humble to know that there is nothing anyone could ever do to deserve it from God. So there is nothing anyone can do to us or for us to deserve it from us. If we want some, if we’ve received some, then we gotta give some.
Boasting about your grace will also shackle you from serving. Grace is a gift that we receive through faith for the purpose of works.
We are saved for good works not by them.
James clears this up for us rather well in chapter 2 of his epistle. In verse 17 he says “so also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” That word “dead” in the Greek means lifeless, as in a dead body. Another way of saying that verse is that faith is required for salvation; works are required to act out the faith of salvation. Faith without works is dead. Faith without works is fruitless. Jesus did good works, so how much more do we need to? He even said that we shall do these things and more.
The impact we make on the world is not because of our faith, but because of our good works that we do because of our faith. You’re saved by grace through faith for works. That is the essence of the great commission. And the great commission is still a mission. And every mission requires action.
Faltering and failing often come with an active faith - a faith full of action. That’s why grace is a gift. It’s not if you need it, it’s when. So grace yourself for impact. And give yourself a little more grace. It’s probably about half the amount we give others…
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