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Living
Under the Grace of God
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by
Tom Caballes
For
by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing;
it
is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
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Ephesians 2:8-9
Probably not many of us have won the jackpot in the
lotto. Why? Many just don’t buy them, and the chances of winning are very
remote. But in a way, we have won more than those who have won the grand
prize in lottos. How? By being recipients of God’s grace. Grace has been
defined as having or receiving special favour with God. It is completely
unearned, unmerited andun deserved. Our very life, every moment of it,
is a grace from God. All that we have and all that we are comes from God.
Who are we to be blessed so much that we receive grace upon grace from
the Creator of everything? We are mere mortals and sinners – yet God made
a way for usto sh are His divine fellowship by sending His Son to die for
our own sins. Not only did He redeem us from our sinful nature, He also
plans to spend eternity with us. We are so much blessed and so much to
be thankful for, under the grace of God!
So how do we live
our lives under God's grace?
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Have an attitude of gratitude. Be thankful always.
Every day is ‘present;’ it is a gift from God! Acknowledge Him at the start
of the day and before you lay down to sleep. Learn to value, appreciate
and prioritise relationships, especially the closest ones, as more important
than gadgets – whom do you spend more time with? Your heart will be where
your treasure is.
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Learn to receive and take the good and the bad alike.
We already have received so much from the grace of God; why can’t we bear
suffering, persecution, pain and disappointments in life? These things
are meant to teach us to depend on God alone.
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Use our time, talents, money and resources for God’s
Kingdom. Out of our debt of gratitude from a life under God’s grace should
result to a life well spent.
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If choosing between which to focus on – our sinfulness
or God’s grace, always choose to focus on God’s grace. Always be ready
to repent and change our ways.
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Always remember that in life’s challenges and difficult
moments, God is on our side. He will never abandon us, even if we do not
understand everything. God’s grace is full and whole, not partial nor temperamental.
God’s love is there until He carries us home.
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We need to inculcate in us the eternal perspective
– that the life we live passes away like grass, which is here today and
gone tomorrow. Then comes eternity. There is nothing in this life, even
our very own lives, which is worth keeping in comparison with eternity.
What a privilege, what grace do we have – life with God for all eternity!
Other Scripture References
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Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our
Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through
grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.
[2 Thessalonians 2:16-17]
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But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.
Amen. [2 Peter 3:18]
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Other references: John 1:14, 16-17; Ephesians 3:16-19;
Romans 3:23-24; Romans 5: 15, 17; 1 Corinthians 15:10.
For Personal Reflection
and Group Sharing:
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Do I truly appreciate the scope and the depth of
God’s grace?
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Do I have a balance with being concerned with temporal
matters and having eternal perspective in my life?
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Tom Caballes is the National
Senior Administrator and a National Coordinator of the Lamb
of God, a community of the Sword of the Spirit with 7 branches located
throughout New Zealand. Tom also leads Kairos
New Zealand, an outreach program for high school, university, and post-university
aged people.
Tom and his wife Mhel and
their two daughters live in Wellington, New Zealand.
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