Recently I’ve been more greatly appreciating the significance of God’s grace and how it applies to my life.
About two months ago, I signed up to receive an email devotional written by John Piper through Bible Gateway. Over the last few weeks, Piper has written about the topic of grace. His short, but rich, devotionals have shed some additional light on this topic of grace for me. As a result of reading these devotionals, and meditating on them and the scriptures included in them, I’ve begin to use the word grace in a different light because I have better appreciated the greater meaning of the word.
One definition I’ve found for grace (noun) is “The free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.”
One aspect of grace is God’s power that He makes available to us. The past, present and future power that is always ours. The Bible tells us that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave is extended to us if we are followers of Jesus.
“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11 NLT
“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT
As Piper writes about in one of the below devotionals, we access the grace of God through faith. This includes not only the grace of our initial salvation, but the ongoing, and future grace that is His power. The power that God gives us through the Holy Spirit who lives within us is accessed through faith. Our ‘active’ faith is what releases His power.
So, a personal application that I have appreciated is that throughout the day, I thank God that He is extending to me His grace and the power associated with it. This mindset – or active believe/faith – is critical to experiencing His power. This includes the power to make any behavior changes I might be wanting to make. As well, God’s grace enables me to take a trip to the grocery store and make healthy food choices.
Below are the topics of John Piper’s devotionals. You may have to be a member (free) on Bible Gateway to access them. If this topic is of interest to you, I pray that you find them helpful.
We Experience the Spirit Through Faith
3 Examples of Fighting Faith
Now go and experience God’s grace and power!
Helpful Resources
