The Gift of Grace

The Gift of Grace

God so loved the world that He gave His Son. This was a tremendous gift. Jesus has many names, but here He is simply called the gift of grace. A gift is useless unless it is accepted. What this gift of grace can mean to us if we receive it is far beyond what we can comprehend or understand.

“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil . . . .” Deut. 30:15. No one doubts that death and evil began to reign through the offense of the one. Yet how many people believe in the gift of grace through Jesus Christ? Those who receive this gift shall live and reign much more. In other words, this is an abundance of grace. “So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Many people would like to hear about Jesus who died for them on Calvary, but how many want to hear about Jesus as Lord? Grace is well known as forgiveness for sin and help in need, but how many people have ever heard about grace as a ruler. It is when grace reigns that we obtain this glorious life in the virtues of Christ. When we receive this gift, we receive this abundance of grace by which we live and reign over death and the evil!

“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col. 1:27.

Death and evil held terrible sway among the Gentiles, as it also does in many homes in our so-called Christian country. When Paul began to proclaim Christ among the Gentiles, they began to hope for this glory. If the evil has such dreadful power, then those who receive the gift of grace will be able to reign much more through the abundant power they receive.

Wherever grace is received as Lord, so that it reigns, there is hope of glory. Regardless of how great the need is, or how strong the hatred is or how deep the fall is, if grace is allowed to rule, the result is liberation and restoration resulting in life and glory.

There is much sin and need among religious people and in religious groups. They speak much about grace and Jesus who died for them, but it is arguments, division and envy that rule. The reason is that they are not acquainted with the grace that rules. They do not know Him who was raised for our justification in order to be our Lord so that we might no longer live for ourselves. Rom. 4:25, 14:7-9.

“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!” 1 Cor. 15:17. For the person who has not received Jesus as Lord, it is as if Jesus were not risen. Col. 2:6. He is still in his sins. Only when we receive Jesus as Lord do we receive this abundance in the gift of grace. That puts an end to viewing situations without hope. Regardless of what the situation is, there is hope of glory.