Extending God’s Grace
"What makes one worthy or deserving of anything, especially God’s grace? Can we earn it by our good deeds? Could we ever purchase it if we possessed all the money in the world? " We often acknowledge that a person "deserves credit for doing something." Our entire societal system is built on merit. We continually assess our peers to determine their eligibility for various rewards. It's common to hear statements such as "I believe he deserves this promotion, given all he's done for this company," or "I don't think he deserves your forgiveness; he knew what the consequences would be." If we place such significance on actions and use them to govern our societal reward systems, we should remember that God uses His grace as a benchmark to guide His actions toward us.
As imperfect and broken as we are, God still chose to love and forgive us by bestowing his grace upon us and loving us anyway, A love that cannot be earned, a mercy that cannot be measured, and a grace that is freely given.
God’s grace is unlimited and present in every aspect of our relationship with him. By grace, we are saved and become co-heirs with Jesus Christ. By grace, our prayers are answered. By grace, we receive all kinds of blessings and gifts from God, such as health, intelligence, security, and peace, to respond to our calling and say here I am, God send me, allow me to be a yielded vessel to you, and grace to resist the plots of the enemy. The manifestation of this grace is even more powerful toward sinners. As it is written in Romans 5:20-21, The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We are called to give grace to one another just as God has so graciously given it to us; let's look at the accounts of the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:32-34. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
Remember, Jesus will treat us similarly if we practice unforgiveness toward others. Grace is not just a concept but a call to action. It's about remembering what God has done for you and extending that same grace and forgiveness to others. How could you withhold grace and forgiveness from another when God so freely gave them to you? The consequences of unforgiveness are severe, but the rewards of grace are immeasurable.
