GRACE: An Acronym
A great way
to remember spiritual truths is to commit them into the form of an acronym,
where the first letter of each line spells out a key word.
Here's one
for a central Christian concept: grace. It means favor or kindness without
regard to the worth or merit of the person who receives it, and in spite of
what that person really deserves. It's a free gift.
In Exodus
34:6, God is described as "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant
in goodness and truth." God showed His grace in saving the Israelites from
Egyptian slavery and parting the Red Sea to help them escape. God's grace is
embodied in the gift of Jesus Christ, who brought the gospel of grace into the
world. In John 1:14, we learn that Jesus was "full of grace and truth," and in
Acts 15:11, we're told that "through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we
shall be saved."
Salvation
by God's grace, rather than by anything that humans can do, separates
Christians from every other religious belief. In Romans 4:4, that's made clear,
that grace is a gift and nothing that can be earned, by prayer or good deeds or
money or anything at all.
So how can
you live a life of grace? Live by this acronym:
Give grace,
not guilt.
Refuse to
have pity parties.
Accentuate
the positive.
Cultivate
freedom for yourself and others.
Encourage
people to come to know the Lord.