Grace for All
Revelation 22:21
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
The very last words God gives to the believer are, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. God understood the need for grace in the believer's life. This grace that God wants us to have is necessary for every aspect of our lives. Grace is getting something from God that we do not deserve, and grace after salvation is like the air conditioner that allows you to endure the heat of trials without them hurting you. God knows that the believer must have grace if they will be successful in serving Him. Let me share six areas where every person needs grace in their lives.
First, you need grace to be saved. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Our Christian life starts with God's grace. Nobody will ever get to Heaven because of what they have done, but they will only get to Heaven because of what Christ did on Calvary.
Second, you need grace to keep you saved. Just like God’s grace saved you, His grace also keeps you saved. We didn't get saved by works; likewise, we don't stay saved by our works, but we stay saved by God's grace. To think that I must do something to stay saved is saying that Christ’s sacrificial payment on Calvary was not enough. Christ saved me by dying on the cross, and because of His grace, that payment is enough to cover my whole life.
Third, you need grace to serve. Nobody deserves the privilege to serve God, but we get to serve Him because of His grace. If it were not for grace, we would be the most miserable people on this earth because we have a salvation inside of us that we could not use. Always remember that it is because of God's grace that you get to serve God. You don't get to serve God because you are good; you get to serve God because of His grace.
Fourth, you need grace to live. Life brings many trials, and only God's grace can help you through those trials. God's grace in trials is what allows you to live successfully for God without the trials making you bitter.
Fifth, you need grace to stay faithful. It is interesting that God ends the book of Revelation by telling us of the need for His grace. If you will stay true to God's Word, it will be because of God's grace. Never get to the point where you believe that you are someone great because you are holding true to God's Word. If it were not for God's grace, you would be deceived, as many others have been deceived.
Sixth, you need grace for everything in between. This is what is interesting to me: our Christian life starts with God's grace and ends with God's grace. The Christian life starts and ends with God's grace, which means we need God's grace for everything in between. I don't know what is between the start and the finish of your Christian life, but I do know that God's grace is sufficient to help you face it. Whatever you do, ask God daily for His grace to make it through whatever you will face that day. You need God's grace for victory as well as defeat. You need God's grace for trials as well as for times of ease. You need God’s grace for every step that you take in the Christian life. Ask Him for it; without it, you will never make it through life in the manner that He expects you to make it.
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