“For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ”.

 – John 1:17.

Notes:

In the first eighteen verses of the Gospel of John, the word grace appears four consecutive times.  

Also, at the end of almost every New Testament epistle, you will find an exhortation from the apostles for the recipients to grow and abound in the grace of Jesus Christ.  We all understand the basic theology behind the differences between the law and grace; therefore this teaching will not include this.  What is important is that you understand the following: 

What exactly is grace, and why is it so important for us?  

A general definition of grace is the ability for God to do what we cannot do.  Since we are God’s building, and a temple of the Holy Spirit, God has blueprints for His Church in order to build it unto completion. Grace is the sum total of all the tools, workers, and materials that is used on this unfinished building that brings it to perfection and completeness. It is what gets the job done. Without it, we are simply left with a halfway finished building.

How can we appropriate the Grace of God in your life?

Grace is appropriated by several means. A few are mentioned below:

One of the greatest privileges for a Christian is the ability to come boldly unto the throne of God, to receive grace in time of need. We are exhorted in scripture to do this: 

 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:15-16:

The second way is to have a humble heart.  God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. – 1 Peter 5:5a.

You cannot earn grace by our works. It is solely by His work in us, and how submissive you are in receiving it.

Willing to Take the Challenge?

In a car race, such as Nascar, the goal is to finish to get the prize. There is a start, and there is a finish. What gets the driver to the finish line is not his own fleshly strength, but his endurance and appropriation in the strength of the vehicle that has been given to him. The power of the car allowed him to rev up his engine at the starting line, the power allowed him to endure, and the same power allowed him to finish. However, his place and rank in the race will be determined by his appropriation or effective use of, the vehicle.

As you and I, being runners and athletes, have been placed into the race of faith, we must run not in our own power, but solely by the grace and strength of Christ in order for us to finish the race. It is the only way to start, the only way to endure, and the only way to finish.