What is Grace?
The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, and within us, because Jesus was crucified.
In the realm of Christian thought, the concept of grace is as profound as it is transformative. It is not merely a theological abstraction but the very heartbeat of the Christian experience, a truth that reverberates through our souls like the deep tolling of a bell in a quiet chapel. Grace, in its fullest sense, encapsulates the unmerited favor of God bestowed upon humanity, a gift so grand that it defies human logic and transcends our deepest failings.
Jesus Christ, the Messiah, suffered, bled, and died for our sins. In this single act of divine self-sacrifice, the unimaginable breadth of God’s love is revealed. Imagine, if you will, standing at the foot of the cross, beholding the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. This moment in history, so pivotal and sacred, is the fountainhead of grace. It is here that we encounter the profound mystery of divine love—a love that bears our sins in His body on the tree.
Because Jesus bore our sins in His body on the tree, we are right with God; and God is with us. This is not a mere forensic declaration but a transformative reality. To be right with God is to be brought into a relationship of peace and intimacy with the Creator of the universe. It is to have the barrier of sin removed, the chasm bridged by the sacrificial love of Christ. In this state of grace, we are justified, righteous, and holy. These terms, often relegated to doctrinal discussions, must be understood as the very essence of our new identity in Christ. Justification is more than acquittal; it is the declaration of a new creation. Righteousness is not merely moral rectitude but the infusion of God’s own life and character into ours. Holiness is not an ascetic retreat from the world but a dynamic participation in the divine nature.
Moreover, in this grace, we are baptized, filled, and overflowing with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord is not an abstract force but the very presence of God within us, enabling, empowering, and transforming. This indwelling of the Spirit is both the seal of our redemption and the source of our sanctification. To be filled with the Spirit is to be animated by the life of God, to experience the deep wells of divine love, joy, and peace bubbling up within us.
Faith is the key that unlocks the treasury of God’s boundless blessings. Imagine a child, eyes wide with wonder, stepping into a room filled with treasures beyond measure. Such is the experience of those who place their trust in the divine. These blessings, anchored deeply in our connection with Christ, infuse our existence with meaning and joy. As we lean into God’s promises, we begin to perceive the subtle yet profound transformation of our lives, molding us into reflections of His majesty.
Jesus, You are the Messiah, the Son of God. You died on the cross for our sins, were buried, and on the third day, You rose back to life. As a result, we are in You and You are in us. This union with Christ is the pinnacle of grace, the very heart of the Christian faith. It is not merely a mystical experience but the reality of our new existence. In Christ, we are new creations, adopted into the family of God, heirs of His promises, and partakers of His divine nature.
The Spirit of the Lord is on us and in us, because Jesus was crucified. This truth, so simple yet so profound, is the foundation of our faith and the source of our hope. It is the grace of God that sustains us, transforms us, and draws us ever closer to His heart. In this grace, we find our identity, our purpose, and our destiny.
Grace is not a doctrine to be dissected but a gift to be received with gratitude and awe. It is the outpouring of God’s love through the sacrifice of His Son, the indwelling of His Spirit, and the transformation of our lives. Let us, therefore, live in the light of this grace, ever mindful of its cost and ever grateful for its blessings.
Jesus was crucified for our sins:
Isaiah 53:5 – “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
We are right with God:
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
God is with us:
Matthew 1:23 – “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).”
Hebrews 13:5 – “‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'”
We are justified, righteous, and holy:
Romans 3:24 – “And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 1:4 – “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
1 Corinthians 1:30 – “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”
We are baptized, filled, and overflowing with the Holy Spirit:
Matthew 3:11 – “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
John 7:38-39 – “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”
Acts 2:4 – “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.“
We are blessed:
Ephesians 1:3 – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”
Galatians 3:9 – “So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”
Jesus died, was buried, and rose back to life:
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 – “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Romans 6:4 – “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
We are in Christ and Christ is in us:
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 – “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
Colossians 1:27 – “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
The Spirit of the Lord is on us and in us:
1 Corinthians 6:19 – “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;”
Romans 8:11 – “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”