Grace is Free but Not Cheap!

Image result for do not receive God's grace in vain
2 Corinthians 6:1-2
As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Grace is a free gift.  It is unmerited favor.  It is undeserved.  Like any gift it has to be received.  But then what do we do once we receive this gift?  Paul says, "We urge you not to receive God's grace in vain?"  What does that mean?
It think it means three things.  First, the primary grace we have received is the free gift of salvation through faith in what Jesus did for on the cross.  As someone has said, "Grace is free it is not cheap!"  Meaning, as we have received God's gift of salvation what are we going to do with it?  We have been set free from the power of sin, death and the power of the devil.  How are we going to use that freedom?  It was reported to Paul that some of the believers in Corinth were dabbling in sexual immorality.  They were returning to the very sin Jesus had set them free from.  Paul says when we use our freedom to return to sin, we are receiving God's grace in vain.
Another way we are given grace is the gift of the Holy Spirit.  As a result of receiving the Holy Spirit, we are each given a spiritual gift.  Like salvation it is a free gift we receive and the question is will we receive our spiritual gift in vain.  In another passage Paul says, "If your gift is teaching, teach.  If it is leading, lead. If it is giving give!"   
Finally, we have received the Good News of Christ freely.  God's free gift of grace is given to us, will we pass along this gift to others. God wants all people to receive his grace in Christ. How are people going to find salvation unless someone shares the message with them? This doesn't mean you need to become a preacher or missionary.  You can share your "grace story" anytime, anywhere.  It is really simple.  It can be summarized as:
1. This is what my life was like before I received God's gift of grace.
2. This is what it was like to receive God's grace and unconditional love.
3. And here is what my life is like now.  
Write it out 2-3 paragraphs and practice it 2-3 times.  Then when the time is right say a quick prayer to the Holy Spirit and share it with those God calls you to.  It is really quite amazing experience to share God's grace with someone who has never heard about it.  Let's not receive God's grace in vain by never sharing it with anybody else.
Have you received God's grace? Will it be in vain?  The grace of God in Christ is the greatest gift we could ever receive.  Let's not keep it to ourselves.  Let's live it out in our lives, exercise our spiritual gifts, and share the Good News of Christ in its fullness expression until Jesus returns! We will never regret it!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more