Archive for January 2011

Evidence of God's grace.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

In a meeting at church this afternoon we were asked to share evidences of God's grace in our lives.

Grace, a word and meaning I was not familiar with until this year. Over the past four months God has been turning my life upside down. There is really no other way to describe what God has been doing other than shaking me to my core.

I never knew what grace was because I didn't think I needed it. You see, when you live a pretty normal life, do good and avoid the really big sins, grace doesn't have meaning. When we don't recognize and repeat of the sin(s) in our lives there is no need for a Savior. As Pastor James says, "No big sin, no big God."

The Holy Spirit started pouring truth in my life revealing I am no better than the murderer in jail, the adulterous husband, or the thief stealing from others. I am the sinner that nailed Jesus to the cross. I am the one that mocked Him while His blood shed for me. I cannot tell you the impact this truth has had on my life. I find myself wondering, "Why did you do it Jesus? Why would you love me enough die for me?" With tears in my eyes I brake down uttering the word why over and over.

Daily I am brought to my knees thanking God for this gift of grace. I need God's grace like everyone else. He could have given me the penalty I deserved, but in His goodness and love He didn't. What good news that is!

I ask the questions Paul asked in Romans, "What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" My answer, like Paul's is by no means.

When the Holy Spirit transformed me, I knew there was reason to celebrate and proclaim it to everyone. This past December during the Advent season I was baptized by my husband and another leader, Kyle at my church, Mars Hill. It is hard to put into words how much this meant to me. This act gave meaning to Paul's words when he writes,


"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
(Romans 6:3-11 ESV)

I must return to my original question. What are the evidences of God's grace in my life? The evidence is great but above all, I now walk in the light of truth. I do not want to live another day without knowing my need for Christ. I have seen thirty years of my own strength and today I choose dependence on Him, and only Him.

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