The grace of the LORD Jesus Christ is mediated to us by the Holy Spirit. This grace, or often referred to as 'the love of Christ', is what compelled Paul to preach Christ. So powerful was the work of God in Paul, in turning him away from a life of misguided religious rituals to persecuting God's people, to being chief evangelist for Christ in his era, that he could not stop speaking of this marvellous, and amazing grace of the LORD Jesus Christ.
Many times we use grace as an excuse not to work hard for the kingdom of God, and to excuse our utter laziness of the flesh in seeking His kingdom and righteousness. We use grace as an excuse to be lackadaisical in the things of God, to excuse our flirtations with the world. You see this all the time in church, and through ministries. A lack of excellence in ministry is usually people thinking that grace means that we do not seek perfection. And they forget, or misunderstand grace in this regard. The very word of God says that if we have something to do, we are to do it with all our might. In fact, in Col 3:23, the apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says, 'Whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as unto the LORD, and not unto men'. And we can only do this heartily because God, in His great mercy and grace, according to His riches in Christ Jesus, has supplied us with the very Spirit of Himself, and thus granting us His grace for every good work, unto His glory. So how can we accept anything less, or any lesser standard than perfection? And yet this striving after perfection is not a striving after perfection for the validation that perfection in and of itself brings. No, it is a performing of that which we know God accepts because His grace working in and through us, provides us the might, and power of His Spirit, to offer unto Him, always, a perfect sacrifice, already cleansed and sanctified by the blood of Christ which saved us in the first place.
We shall be judged. Believers think there is no judgment for them. They forget that there is a judgment seat of Christ awaiting them.
Paul is our model when he said in 1 Cor 15:10 that 'he worked harder than all the other apostles, yet not him, but the grace of God in him.'
What's our excuse for prayerlessness?
What's our excuse for not living the served life unto Christ wherever we are?
What's our excuse for not actively seeking for His kingdom and righteousness?
What's our excuse for not growing in the Word? It is unbelievable that so many believers say that they do not know or have a working knowledge of the Scriptures, and its doctrines or history, even after years and years of being a Christ-follower. What's the reason for this deplorable state of affairs in Christianity? A terrible misunderstanding of grace. That because of grace, believers don't have to work hard at knowing the Scriptures. And then they wonder why they are 'perishing'. Hosea said it clearly that God's people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Time is short, the day is already spent. Our salvation is nearer today than it was before.
There is no time to sleep and slumber. The Bridegroom is here. Are our lamps out without any reserves?
Go to the Great Grace Giver, again, and again, and again, and find strength and grace for all that He has called you to be and do in His kingdom.
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