No 6

(The love and grace of God)

The dictionary defines grace as a favor, something that is not due but is given to someone freely. Of course the dictionary is quite limited when it comes to the grace of God because who else but the Lord would want to show grace to a humanity who, from its beginning, has disobeyed and has been rebellious to His laws. Even early on in the garden of Eden, God wanted to show grace when He said to Adam : « Where art thou? » Gen 3 :9. He knew exactly where he was and what he had done; God wanted to show him grace but, no Adam starts talking about his nudity and blaming God for the « woman whom Thou gavest to be with me » Gen 3 :12. Talk about impudence and rebellion; but, believe me, we are not any different from Adam.

Until God’s grace got a hold of us and His Spirit convicted us of our impudence and rebellion; we were just like Adam, lost in our own garden of sin. God not only gives us His grace and shows us our sin, but He also gives us the opportunity to repent.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2 :25 : « if God peradventure will give them repentance ». Granted, this verse speaks about our meekness toward those who oppose us, but the words « will give them » just further show us and the opposition we may come up against in the world, that the God of the Bible is truly a God of grace who provides every opportunity to come to Him. Peter in his first letter states in chapter 3 verse 15 : «be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in us with meekness and fear ». God’s grace is not something to be kept secret but, as Christians, we ought to cry out loud on the rooftops that the grace of God is available to all who come to Him; « and to him that cometh to Me. I will in no wise cast out ». (John 6 :37)