Access to Grace

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:2

When I saw the picture, I did a classic double take. A seven foot Christmas tree, fully decorated and ready for the big day. But it wasn’t the tree itself that captured my attention, it was the fact that only the top three feet were visible due to the mammoth pile of presents surrounding it! There were some pretty happy kids in that house, I’m sure.

In Genesis 1, we are told that God made us in His image. Among other things, this means that our character reflects the character of God. We are not a perfect reflection by any means, but there are glimpses of Him in us. We are generous (for instance, at Christmas) because He is generous. Paper and ink supplies would be exhausted were we to attempt to list all of His gifts and blessings to us. As we see in Romans 5:2, not only are we saved, justified and granted peace with God, but also through this relationship with Christ, we have continued access to His grace. Certainly God’s grace (giving us what we do not deserve) is the only basis we have for standing in His presence. But more than that, we have access to this grace for life and living. Every day, I draw on that grace as I seek to live my life in a way that honors Him. God invites us to confidently approach His gracious throne to find what we need (Hebrews 4:16). And every time we come to Him, that grace is available, sufficient and free. Thank you, Father, for your generosity!

-Pastor Mike