“Amazing Grace”

 Galatians 2:21

I am not one of those who treats the grace of God as meaningless.  For if we

could be saved by keeping the law, then there was no need for Christ to die.  (NLT)

     It is only because of God’s tender mercy, His amazing grace, and His perfect love that we have any chance of escaping the Final Judgment and the eternal condemnation that we all deserve.  One of the reasons that God wrote the Ten Commandments was to show us how disobedient and sin-weak we really are; to show us how desperately we need His help.  It is our fallen nature to love sin and rebel against the holiness of God.  We would all fail miserably if it were not for God’s intervention, for without the Savior we would all die in our sin and be eternally entombed in the darkness of Hell.  It is simply impossible for us to live a sinless life even though the Lord created us in His own likeness.  God sets a high standard because sin cannot be in His Presence.   We needed a sinless Savior and so God came into the world.  He became our sin and died our death.  It is through the atoning blood of Christ Jesus that we are cleansed of all sin, clothed in righteousness, and saved by His amazing grace. 

     Although Jesus was born without the human sinful nature, He grew up fully human and had to deal with the same temptations to sin as we all do.   And because He was able to live a sin free life, Jesus became the spotless, once and for all time, sacrificial Lamb of God, taking away the sins of the world and paying the full price that was due.  By hanging on a cross and shedding His blood, Jesus saved the world.  He defeated sin and death and ascended into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father pleading our case and forgive our sins.  And even though we continue to sin and fall short of God’s standard, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome our sin addiction, and we have the forgiveness of Jesus when we fail.  Treasure the gift of your salvation, rejoice in the amazing grace you received from God, and hold tightly to the blessed hope it brings.  And let no day pass you by dear friend, without verbally proclaiming your deepest thanksgiving and praise to the Lord God your Savior who accomplished what you could have never done.

                                        A Whisper of Hope

You cannot comprehend, child...the love I have for you this side of Heaven.  I hung on a cross and died a criminal’s death to save you from your sin.  You’ll never know the extent of the wrath I took in your place. What I did, I did for you.  My grace is sufficient and my mercy is just.

Romans 8:1-2

So now there is no condemnation for those who

belong to Christ Jesus.  For the power of the life-

giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus

from the power of sin that leads to death.  (NLT)  

                    We give thanks to You, O GOD, we give thanks!

                                               (Psalm 75:1)