Grace

I never understood grace growing up, I don't think I was really ever taught it in church or maybe I wasn't listening. I'm reading a book called "Choosing to See" by Mary Beth Chapman. She says:

"Our church taught that you could lose your salvation...and so you never quite knew where you stood with God. I don't remember ever hearing the concept of grace. A relationship with God was all about working hard and being as good as you could possibly be."

She goes on to talk about how she asked Jesus into her life at least once a year at summer Bible camp, just to make sure she was saved!

I can relate so much to this. I was always afraid of losing my salvation and constantly trying to do something good to make up for it. It wasn't until a few years ago God finally set me straight (so to speak) Someone sent me a video of a missionary speaking on grace and I'd never heard anything like it before.

As I was sitting on the floor in my living room, preparing my Sunday school lesson listening, the weight of my sin came over me and in the same instance God poured  His grace over me. I cried like a baby, and in that moment I knew I was saved by grace alone through faith alone (Eph. 2:8) and I would never lose my salvation because He promised me He would never leave me or forsake me. (Heb. 13:5) I finally felt free, free to trust him fully.

GRACE: the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God; the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them.