Devotional: The Wonderful Grace of God!
By Tom Shanklin
“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus — the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20:24, NLT)
I love Paul’s description of the Gospel here—“the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” Grace has been defined as God’s unmerited favor. Grace is not earned. It has been given to us. It is God’s goodwill, lovingkindness, favor, and merciful kindness.
When hymn writer John Newton penned the famous words, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!” he understood the meaning of grace. Before coming to Christ, he was a slave-boat captain and an investor in the slave trade. In other words, he made money by tearing people away from their homeland and family in Africa, bringing them to the new world, and subjecting them to a life of cruel bondage. This is not to mention the millions of people who died as a result of the slave trade.
In 1748, John Newton encountered a horrific storm on the high seas, which precipitated a change in his life. From that point, he recognized God’s right to sovereignty over his life, began to trust in Jesus Christ for his salvation, and received that wonderful gift of grace. He repented of his worldly, sinful ways and eventually renounced and fought against the slave trade, in which he had been a cruel partner.
The scriptures tell us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8, NKJV). Grace is something that God does. Our part is to receive it.
To receive grace, you must realize that you cannot save yourself. You cannot approach God without His grace and mercy. You may not be a rank and obvious sinner like John Newton, but we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We all have a seed of sin that we received from our ancestor Adam, and we all must receive forgiveness through the blood that Jesus shed at Calvary.
But the Good News about the wonderful grace of God is not only about forgiveness, it is also about the release of God’s power to transform your life. In all that the apostle Paul wrote in his letters about Christian life, the foundation was always the Good News of the grace of God. It’s because of the grace of God that you can live a righteous life and have healthy relationships. Because of God’s grace, you can do what’s right, and you can live victoriously.
I want to encourage you, if you are living in any type of condemnation, try grace! Repent of your sin and believe in God’s wonderful grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. Believe that the blood of Jesus is good enough to totally cleanse you and make you whole. Then you can move forward in life with the wind in your sail and a bounce in your step.
Pray a prayer like this from your heart:
Dear Father, I thank you for the Good News about your wonderful grace. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sins and give me eternal life. I turn from my sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord of my life. Thank you for forgiving me and making me new, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Grace Teaches Us to Live Right!
Amazing Grace: The John Newton Story