The Power of Grace

The Power of Grace

The Power of GraceI never thought that I would be blogging about President Obama giving eulogy. But life does surprise us, doesn’t it? And this one was a very pleasant surprise. I truly liked what President Obama said in eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney last Friday in Charleston, South Carolina. Who would have thought that Obama’s theology echoes Dietrich Bonhoeffer? Or St. Paul?

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph. 2:8-9, NIV)

Barack Obama said “We don’t earn grace. We’re all sinners. We don’t deserve it. But God gives it to us anyway. And we choose how to receive it. It’s our decision how to honor it.”

Can I hear ‘Amen’?

And all this was said on a day of triple terrorist attacks. The terrorists really would like us to live in fear.
And we would live in fear if we responded to the attacks without God’s grace. But the power of God’s grace changes bad things into beautiful things.

It really does come down to this: How do we respond to God’s grace. And what we decide to do with it.

Do we let God’s grace permeate our whole inner beings or not?
Do we honor God and his grace by letting it run free in our souls?
Do we let God’s grace change us and our situations better or not?

When we respond with a resound yes to God and his grace….amazing things happen. Then we do not live in fear but in joy. No matter how much evil would like us to wallow in grief or fear.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. ( 2 Cor. 4:8-9, ESV)

Bad things happens but the power of grace will prevail. With the words of Thomas a Kempis “Lord, without grace I can do nothing, but with its strength I can do all things in You.”

We can’t but God can.

Hence we rejoice in all circumstance.
Hence we love our enemies.
Hence we rise above difficulties.

That’s the power of God’s grace for you.

Revel in it. And pass it on!

 

Gracious God,
We thank and praise you.
You love us as we are
but you don’t leave us there.
Thank you for providing
as much grace as we need.
Not only to be cleansed from our sins
but also to live victoriously.
In Jesus’ precious name,
Amen

Q4U: How does God empower you?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you live in God’s grace day by day!

Photo courtesy of Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty, Small Wonders.

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