Show Grace

Week 3: July 2nd
Title: Show Grace
By: Anne Kerley

Romans 3:23-24
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

It was a lesson not a life sentence..... 

Bad decisions, regrets can leave us feeling guilty and ashamed. We may feel stuck in a pattern that we just can’t seem to break free from no matter how hard we try. We bury it deep in hopes that it will just go away! But to our demise, it keeps bubbling up, and grows bigger every time. The lesson it was supposed to teach turns into a life sentence that we keep tripping over daily. 

Although we may feel stuck, there is hope. When we lay our guilt and shame at the foot of the cross, we can lean into God’s GRACE that speaks into hearts and breaks us free from these destructive patterns. As a child of God we have permission to come boldly before his throne and receive grace in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)! Like the verse above, we are all justified (just as if I never sinned) freely by his grace through the redemption (being saved from sin) that came by Jesus. Do we trust God enough to know His grace extends to us when we fail and can change our regrets into peace and purpose? 

Will you allow that trust to grow and let his grace transform your thinking? Will you let your thoughts of regret, shame and guilt be changed, and let forgiveness and grace be what you think of first. He can do it, if you will let him! I have included a quote from Philip Yancey, the author of “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” to wrap it up. Let God’s safety net of grace rescue you. 

“I challenge anyone to find an example of a person who lives a perfect life, so I’m glad those of us who fail have grace to rescue us. I would add, though, that Jesus deliberately “raises the bar.” If you look at the Sermon on the Mount, he keeps raising the ideal, so high that no one can meet it. You don’t murder—do you get angry with your brother? You don’t commit adultery—do you lust? He raises the bar so high that no one can meet it, and then provides the safety net of grace. We don’t have to gain God’s approval by jumping over the bar. Indeed, when we fail, grace is there to rescue us.” 

Let GRACE rewrite your story... 

Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”