The Power Of Grace

We all process life events by means of our own world view. Our world view can be like wearing a pair of glasses. In order to see what God sees we need to wear prescription glasses whose lens are impregnated with His grace. His grace will completely change what we see. The apostle Paul described grace as being "exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in Christ." (1 Tim.1:14) With the glasses of grace we will see above and beyond human failings, flaws and fragility. It is  bigger than weaknesses and even wickedness.


Paul understood the transformational power of grace as it changed him from being the persecutor of the church to becoming its greatest proponent. The grace of God has a way of transforming from the inside out. Grace glasses will reveal the Son. The more these glasses are worn the more our world view will change. Paul's worldview changed because grace was doing its work by revealing the finished work of Jesus in him and then through him. "But when it pleased God...called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me that I might preach Him among the Gentiles." (Gal.1:15-16)


Because the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is abundant, as well as transformational, the believer will grow in His strength. Paul instructed Timothy to "...be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim.2:1) This means that the believer can thrive not just survive. He can see what the Lord sees, not just what is happening around him. To quote an extreme experience, Stephen the first recorded martyr chose to see his persecutors through the eyes of grace. The external result was that Stephen saw Jesus and Saul, the persecutor was saved. Stephen was described as a man "full of faith and power". Grace will do its work in the worst of situations. In fact church history shows that the church thrives under persecution.


I have never been in a car that has done top speed as measured by its maximum on the speedometer. We are restricted by law from going as fast as the car can go and therefore we will never experience its full potential unless we are on a race track! But with grace we can test it all the way. Grace is designed to 'travel' to its full potential. Grace will swallow up the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Whatever the nature of the 'mountain' in front of you, the power of grace can reduce the mountain,. The mountain could be crippling fear, insecurity or anxiety. Zerrubbabel heard the word of the Lord "not by might nor by power but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts. Who are you O great mountain? Before Zerrubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "grace, grace to it!"" (Zech.4:6-7) Zerrubbabel was commissioned with building the temple. Christ is our Zerrubbabel and there is nothing too hard for His grace to do. With grace 'glasses' you too can shout "grace, grace' to the mountains that you face.












This blog is adapted from a message by Ross Smith called "The Power of Grace" on 18/01/15 at The Vine Church, Logan City, Queensland, Australia. The full message can be accessed by podcast from www.thevine.org.au/teaching