Grace

For the past couple of weeks I have been often reminded of how blessed I am to be the recipient of Christ’s grace. Grace is one of the greatest spiritual blessings unique to the Christian era. It’s not as if God did not show his grace in the Old Testament, He did, just look at David’s sin and God’s response. But in the OT, God’s interaction with His followers usually focused on obedience, i.e. The Mosaic Covenant, Ten Commandments. In the Christian age comes an emphasis on Grace. John emphasizes this in Chapter 1 of his gospel. 16 For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. So many times in Jesus’ ministry we see Him pouring out this grace on the sinful and guilty of His time: the adulterous woman, the prostitute who washed His feet, Zaccheus the crooked tax collector, the Samaritan woman, the Gadarene demoniac. Jesus loved sinners. The kind of people you and I usually shun, ignore or castigate. He loved to show them grace, and that grace was not contingent upon a changed life, it was just grace. I’m so grateful He still loves sinners. He still pours grace upon sinful people like me. I’m so unworthy. Jesus no longer walks the streets of Jerusalem and Galilee. We can’t see him physically in New York, Dallas, Port Neches or in any place for that matter. He’s present, no doubt, but He needs us to be his hands and feet. He shows His grace through you and through me today. Jesus said, "freely you have received, freely give." How can you be a channel of God’s grace this week?