The Gift of Grace

Romans 3:23-25 (ESV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. Explanation: God’s gift of grace levels the playing field for all of mankind. We all need His grace because all of us have sinned. And because grace is a gift, there is nothing anyone can do to earn it; we can’t receive it by doing enough good things to tip the scale in our favor. Either we accept it or we do without it. Each of us has equal access to the salvation God offers through Christ Jesus. By His willingness to die in our place, Christ became a propitiation for our sin, i.e., He satisfied God’s judgment by paying the price for our sin. Grace is the hand of God reaching down to us, offering a gift we don’t deserve—salvation through Jesus for all who believe He died in our place. Once we receive the gift we don’t deserve, we can understand the concept of divine forbearance or mercy…God withholding the judgment we do deserve. Application: 1. God designed His plan of salvation in such a way that no one can claim they have done enough good works to earn it. Did you ever, or do you now, fall into the trap of thinking God’s love is based on how much you do for Him? 2. Grace and mercy are inseparable attributes that show us the extravagance of God’s love. He can’t offer us a gift we don’t deserve without holding back the justice we do deserve. How does this truth affect your response when someone hurts or offends you? 3. Another word for propitiation is atonement. Jesus Christ—who is God in the flesh—atoned, or paid the penalty for, the sins of everyone who confesses by faith that they believe this to be true. Prayer Starter: Give thanks to God today for sending His Son, Jesus, to stand in judgment of our sin. Ask God to help you model grace and mercy so others can experience the love of God in action. Devo Plus: Read Ephesians 2:4-10 and reflect on the incredible love God exhibited by sending Jesus Christ to die for our sin.