TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

APRIL 8, 2013

HOW TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S GRACE

‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from God…’

1 Corinthians 1:3 Several of Paul’s epistles open with the words, ‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from God.’ That’s because you cannot experience God’s peace unless you first know how to receive His grace and walk in it. There are three things about grace you need to understand: a) it cannot be earned; b) it is God doing for you what you cannot do for yourself; c) it doesn’t kick in until you stop struggling and trying to do it in your own strength. The Bible says, ‘…God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ (James 4:6 NIV). The ‘humble’ are those who admit their total inability to succeed without God’s help, but the ‘proud’ are always trying to take the credit. They like to think it’s their ability that gets the job done, so they’ve difficulty asking God for grace, and even more difficulty receiving it. Peter writes, ‘Grow in grace…’ (2 Peter 3:18). You only learn to trust God—by doing it! You grow in grace by taking God at His Word, counting on His gracious provision for each day, and His intervention in situations that are difficult or impossible for you. There will never be a day when you don’t need God’s grace. And if you are willing to acknowledge you need it and receive it by faith, there will be no shortage of it. ‘For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favour upon favour and gift [heaped] upon gift’ (John 1:16 AMP).

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