CELEBRATING THE GOD OF ALL GRACE

But may the GOD of ALL GRACE, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you – 1 Peter 5:10

A story is told about the nineteenth century evangelist Dwight L. Moody. On one occasion he was meditating on the theme of grace and was so enthralled by the thought that, flinging aside his pen, he dashed out into the street where he accosted the first man he met and demanded: “Do you know grace?” “Grace who?” asked the surprised man. If we could but get a tiny glimpse of the marvel of God’s grace as it is presented in the New Testament, and really begin to comprehend its meaning, we would probably all get as excited as Moody did, and our lives would not be the same again.

The King of Glory is the God of all Grace, and He is worthy to be celebrated, because He is the Source and Supplier of all Grace! This virtue called Grace is at the heart of our Christian faith. It takes understanding grace to truly appreciate the Christian life. When we understand grace, and completely grasp the depth of it, our communion with God is maximized. We’ll be more drawn to Him, love Him more, and be more grateful. It’s by grace that God brings us to Him: “For if by one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Rom.5:17).

We can’t earn grace. It comes from the Father of lights (Jam.1:17). Grace does not depend on what we have done for God, but rather what God does, and can do, for us. The God of all grace gives us grace for all things. God is a gracious God. He loves to be gracious to people, especially those who do not deserve it. “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to ALL: and His tender mercies are over ALL of His works” (Psa.145:8-9). Grace is something that God gives us that we don’t deserve; whereas, Mercy is God not giving us something that we do deserve. I therefore celebrate the God of all Grace – of manifold, many-sided, amazing Grace.

His tenderness and compassion avalanche upon us from the crests of His steadfast Love. In the lyrics of the classic: Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind, but now I see. Non-Christians as well as Christians are amazed by grace. Though they may not realise it; that is what they thirst for. And when Grace is truly seen, not just sung, then the entire world will fall prostrate before it. It’s amazing; utterly amazing. But, what makes Grace truly amazing is the Amazing God of all Grace, seated on “the throne of Grace”, whose Spirit is “the Spirit of Grace” (Heb.4:16, 10:29). His ultimate Will is that we be perfected, established, strengthened, and settled!