Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Dear People of Grace,
“There … but for the grace of God … go I.” It’s an old saying going back to the 16th century. I bet we can apply these words to our lives. I know I can. As I see many people struggling in many ways – for example poverty, sickness, or loneliness – I say, “There … but for the grace of God … go I.” I remember being in college, struggling to stay enrolled, but by the grace of God I made it. I recall times I acted recklessly, putting my life in danger in search of thrills, but by the grace of God I made it. “There … but for the grace of God … go I.” I’m sure you can relate. So now that we’re here – not there, by His grace, what next?
St. Paul, or should I say Saul, wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:10) Paul recognized quite clearly his former life as a zealous persecutor of Jesus and His disciples would’ve led him straight the gates of hell. But then, by the grace of God, Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus. Jesus transformed Saul’s tireless zeal and deep knowledge of scriptures, twisted though it was, into Paul’s passionate proclamation of the gospel. Through Paul, many, including you and I, have been saved by God’s grace through faith in the gospel.
What next? By God’s grace, we have also been called to use our gifts – zeal and knowledge, creativity, leadership, organization, speaking, writing … whatever they might be – to serve Him, His church, and His creation. By the grace of God, we have been protected from our errors along the way. We have been led to this point in time and space. We have been called by God to use our gifts to rescue still others into the grace of God. What’s next for you? What is God calling you to do in response to His grace for you?
In God’s Grace,
Pastor Jim