Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today, let’s pause and reflect on the grace God has declared over our lives.

In today’s scripture, 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NLT), the Apostle Paul testifies…
But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

Consider…
Psalmist Luther Barnes sings a song that begins…

How did I make it all these years?
How did I make it this far?
Through the valleys and over the hills
I know it had to be God

How did I make it through the storm?
How did I make it through the rain?
If you want to know
Just how I got here
It’s so easy to explain
It was God’s grace

These lyrics from the song God’s Grace resonate with me when I honestly reflect on my life thus far.

You see I am not the best child of God. I mean my thoughts aren’t always pure, and my actions and reactions aren’t always righteous. Succinctly, although I have been saved by grace, I find myself woefully in need of God’s grace daily.

It’s easy to believe that Ephesians 2:8, is all there is to God’s grace, but God’s grace doesn’t just save us from the penalty of sin and gift us with eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Indeed, God’s grace declares us free from the power of sin and allows us to live righteously by the leading of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.

This is a good place to pause and highlight some key operational points of grace. Let’s read Ephesians 2:8 for the first point…
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Operational point one is God’s grace is activated by faith. Think of faith like the light switch that turns on the light. Although the power necessary for the light to function is continuously flowing, it’s not realized until the light switch is flipped to on. In the same way, although God’s grace is continuously flowing to this dark world, you and I don’t realize it until our hearts are switched to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord.

Recall, earlier I said that God’s grace didn’t end with Ephesians 2:8. Romans 8:1‭-‬2 (NLT) explains…
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

By believing and belonging to Christ, grace not only calls us out of darkness into God’s marvelous light, it gives us a life long renewing lightbulb to illuminate the path to living righteously. Notice the verse above says the life-giving Spirit has freed us from the power of Sin!

Which brings me to the second operational point of grace, it requires a renewing conduit, the Holy Spirit, to be actualized in our lives.

• Faith in Christ activates God’s grace from the penalty of sin
• Faith to follow the Holy Spirit actualizes God’s grace from the power of sin

Remember our light switch analogy. You can flip the switch all you want, but if it there isn’t a light bulb, there isn’t light. That’s what the Holy Spirit represents, the light bulb that illuminates God’s grace. Before we run on, please recognize, when we’re saved, we are given the ‘lifebulb’ that will never go out.

My definition of the ‘lifebulb’ is God’s eternal source of illumination that leads us into righteous living here on earth on our way to eternal life.

Romans 8:10‭-‬11 (NLT) explains…
And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

God’s gift of the Holy Spirit indicates that accessing His grace was never intended to be a once in a lifetime event in our lives. Rather, God always planned for grace to prevail over and in our lives throughout our journey here on earth.

Acts 2:38 (AMP) tells us…
And Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Notice, God gives us the gift of His indwelling presence when we repent and follow Jesus. I believe He gives us that gift because like Jesus told Peter in the garden in Matthew 26:41 (NLT)…
Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

This gives new insight to Romans 8:26‭-‬27 (NLT), which declares…
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

God knows we want to live righteously, but our flesh is weak. Thus, His grace dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit to win each battle with sin we face. Grace includes the Holy Spirit praying for God’s sin destroying power to be revealed in our moments of weakness.

I often thank God for His unfailing love, but I am coming to realize I need to also remember to thank Him for His limitless grace.

Romans 5:20 (ERV) explains…
The law was brought in so that more people would sin the way Adam did. But where sin increased, there was even more of God’s grace.

Wow, that just made me realize that Satan meant for sin to destroy the relationship between God and man, not realizing that it was revealing God’s grace which was always His plan.

Ephesians 3:10‭-‬12 (ERV) explains…
His purpose was that all the rulers and powers in the heavenly places will now know the many different ways he shows his wisdom. They will know this because of the church. This agrees with the plan God had since the beginning of time. He did what he planned, and he did it through Christ Jesus our Lord. In Christ we come before God with freedom and without fear. We can do this because if our faith in Christ.

God’s grace isn’t about earning His favor by learning how to work for it. Rather, His grace is reserved for those who by faith yearn for Him.

Which brings me to the third and final operational point of God’s grace, which is we live by grace. It’s true that we walk by faith, but I submit we live by God’s grace. Look again at what Paul said in today’s scripture…
For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.

Without a doubt we need to do our best to live Holy like Jesus. And there’s no question that God has given us everything we need to do so (2 Peter 1:3). But make no mistake, it’s God’s grace working through us that helps us win each battle with sin.

So today, as you do your best to live righteously for God, remember…

• Faith in Christ activates God’s grace from the penalty of sin
• Faith to follow the Holy Spirit actualizes God’s grace from the power of sin
• Yearning faith, more than learning works, earns God’s unmerited favor to win the battle over sin. Yearning seeks the presence of God, whereas learning simply seeks knowledge of Him.

God has declared grace in and over your life! Walk in it, by following with His Spirit, and doing all that He tells you to do.

Speaking of doing what the Holy Spirit tells you to do, He is guiding me to leave you with the lyrics to Amazing Grace…

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace, my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come
‘Twas grace that brought us safe thus far
And grace will lead us home

When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun
Than when we first begun

Praise God for His declared grace today! And operate accordingly.

Today’s song is…
Grace

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)