Pastor’s Manna: Grace and Faith

When you were a child, did you ever have a birthday party and decide to not open one of the presents that a friend brought and gave you? Of course not! Why on earth would you leave a present all wrapped up just to admire it. Yet this happens all the time with the gift of God’s grace that has been given to us.

We have spent the first part of this year looking at the grace we see extended from Jesus to those he interacted with in the Gospel accounts of His life. We have learned that the same grace is extended to us as we face similar situations in our lives. We are:

the one with a past

the outcast

the untouchable

the sinner

the sick

the lonely

the unworthy

Each person who met and interacted with Jesus had the opportunity to come away changed. They needed to act on that opportunity.

When grace washed over them, they had to choose… Do I believe? Do I accept what is being offered, or do I walk away? It takes an intentional decision of faith to let grace change us. It isn’t enough to have grace given. We need to act on it, stepping out in faith and declaring, “Yes Lord, I believe.” Scripture tells us:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

Faith and grace go hand in hand, and both, combined give us the assurance to know that we will have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. For those who have found this faith, their life is changed forever, knowing they can rely on the promises of God through Jesus Christ. Have you intentionally responded to God’s grace with faith? If not, there is no time like the present. Take a moment and say a prayer, thanking God for the grace you have received through Jesus Christ as you place your faith in Him!

In Him,

Pastor Jon