“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” Revelation 22:21
During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. After they had eliminated several possibilities, C. S. Lewis walked in the room and responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.” After some discussion, the conferees had to agree. The notion of God’s love coming to us free of charge, no strings attached, seems to go against every instinct of humanity. We are born with a nature that cries out for justice, that demands you get what you earn. No free passes! And that philosophy echoes down through every area of our lives!
But the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is radically different from anything this world has to offer! The apostle Paul and his companions, after preaching the gospel of grace in Thessalonica, were described as having turned the world upside down! (Acts 17:6) That is what grace does! The last words of Scripture are a prayer and a wish that the entire world be turned upside down by the grace of the Lord Jesus bestowed upon all!
Phillip Yancey is his well-known book, “What’s so amazing about Grace?” says the following, “Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more, … and there is nothing we can do to make God love us less! There is a simple cure for people who doubt God’s love and question God’s grace: to turn to the Bible and examine the kind of people God loves.” In His grace, God chooses murderers, adulterers, liars, prostitutes and persecutors of His church, and sets His love upon them. So there is good hope for sinners such as us! Although there is nothing in us deserving His favour, yet God does not judge us upon our performance but upon His glorious provision in Jesus Christ! Peter describes our God as “the God of all grace!” What a title! What a gospel! Hallelujah! What a Saviour!
"When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin!"