Amazing Grace

It’s truly amazing as the lyrics of the first stanza goes:

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once as lost but now am found

Was blind but now I see.

This beautiful stanza is the perfect picture of you and I. We were all lost but now we are found, was blind but now we can see. That’s truly amazing!

All of God’s people are spiritually lost and blind until we are found and then we can see. You say, “See what?” That we can truly see the light of God that came upon all men, the light of the world, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the light of the world and you will not see or understand salvation until the light of Jesus Christ comes to you and then you will be found by God himself. There is a longing in all men’s hearts for their creator, their maker, God Almighty in heaven. All men yearn to be with the essence of whom they were created and formed. It’s a spiritual epiphany of connecting to the source of your very existence. Therefore, often times, we tend to connect to a source that can link us to this hypocrisy that has been embedded in our minds. It is hypocrisy (false-thinking) when you are seeking about how you were created comes from your family, when indeed it comes from God.

We begin by bonding strong relationships with our parents and siblings, especially our parents, from our youth. The mere factor that we were conceived by our parents tells us instantly that we come from another source besides ourselves. To look at our parents at every occasion or social, it’s always a spiritual awakening of how we are alive today. It’s beautiful to behold our parents in this type of light. All parents should be acknowledged and honored for this momentous wonder of childbirth, rearing, and nourishing your children to young ladies and gentlemen representing the kingdom of God. This is the Christians’ icon in our walk with the Lord, “Train up a child in the way he should go and he shall not depart from it”, according to the scriptures. As Christian parents who walk with the Lord, we do this with gladness in our hearts.

Then there are family reunions, celebrating our families and unions of different generations. This also is wonderful. Seeing your family member can be healing in many ways. To observe family members behavior and reactions to certain circumstances can enlighten you and perhaps help you when you see that your temperament is just as Aunt Susie’s. Observing your Aunt Susie’s calm demeanor when she is being criticized is very important to you. When you would rather rebel with a sarcastic comeback, an eye roll and a turn on a heel walking away, thinking you have just defeated your enemy, when indeed they are not your enemies. They are a lost soul and they are bind to the fact that there is no need to say sarcastic, flippant comments to another loved one or family member. There is simply a need to observe Aunt Susie, who is saved and sanctified (set apart) from the world (worldly-living). It’s astonishing! And you say, “Could I do that? Could I walk away from crude comments, put downs from a family member or loved one, or even a friend or coworker. Could I?”

You see, when someone demeans you to your face, it feels like a strike to your face. It’s not a physical strike but a spiritual one. If you have ever been struck in your face, it is as if you’ve lost all awareness, for a few seconds and then reality comes back. You will either have one of two reactions – to either strike back physically, or with words, or literally turn the other cheek. This is what Jesus tells us to do, which is ignoring the insults and sarcastic remarks. This is very difficult when you are not a believer of Jesus Christ. You will not be able to do this without the help of the Holy Spirit prompting you to do so. You see, Aunt Susie is a Spirit-filled woman. She is able to turn away and walk with the grace of God operating in her life. Oh yes, it’s all about the grace of God permeating in your life that causes you to walk in a victorious fashion, like Aunt Susie.

God’s grace is the most incredible and beautiful thing in the world. There have been many definitions on what exactly is the grace of God. Most of the definitions are correct according to the subjects and situations that are current in your life or how the subject of grace is being taught, or preached. There are several factors of God’s grace. There is a grace that comes from God to do His will with the ordination and anointing on your life from God himself. You see, you can be called, ordained, and anointed to do service for God’s will, but the grace factor is absent. You were called before the foundations of the world and anointed by God in your mother’s womb and he will continue to anoint you several more times in the course of your submission and training in your growth through the Holy Spirit to God. This is a fact. This all will come in due season for the appointed time of your ministry and your Godly, Christian-living. But grace, oh this is something you have to grow in! God is the only one who can give us this grace (unmerited favor) to do his will.

Grace is unspeakable, undeniable, awesome, tangible presence and the demonstrating of the power of God living and operating in your life so that others may be benefit and feed off of its overwhelming, nourishing power and healing effect that will bless others. It has the power to open doors that no man can close and close doors that no man can open. That’s grace, and it’s amazing!

The whole factor about grace is that it is a split in different levels, only to benefit your life where it is needed. Men (mankind) cannot split up God’s grace. Only God can do this, after all it is God’s grace. The ultimate factor for his plan; salvation. Yes, you cannot receive salvation without God’s grace.

Our heavenly Father favors you and I to offer us this marvelous thing called salvation. Favor is defined as approval, support or liking someone or something, 2. An act of kindness beyond what is due or usual. We are all approved by God because of the finish work of Jesus Christ. Your sins are forgiven, your sins forgiven, your sins are forgiven! You have to believe that Jesus shed blood on the cross has washed away all of your sins, not just for a few selected people or in the church, but the whole world. Jesus is the Savior of the whole world: all nations, every nation. Your sins are already forgiven. So repent and turn away from all of your sins that your sins may be cleansed by the blood of Jesus. You do not have to do anything, or go anywhere. Right now, while you are reading this letter, to you from God, only believe that all of your sins are forgiven by God because of what Jesus Christ did for you on the cross. If you believe this, you are saved right now, this instance, in the private of your home or your car, wherever you are, believe it, that this very instant you are saved. This is the epiphany and the unspeakable grace toward your life. This is what you call saving grace, which is the ultimate grace factor. There has to be a confession with the mouth and a believing in the heart. If you are willing to confess with your mouth, please say out loud, “God I have accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. I repent of my sins. Make me a new creature in Christ Jesus. Amen.” That’s it. Welcome to the family of God! Amen.

There are other factors of God’s grace as we walk humbly with him. The grace of God will grow more and more. Humility is a major factor with God where grace is concerned. By putting and serving others before yourselves will cause God’s grace to grow in your life. Yes, beloved, grace grows as the more you mature and humble yourselves. You can boast about how God’s grace is very permanent and strong on your life opposed to others, or you can become complacent about the grace of God that is on your life. This is not good at all and God hates this type of behavior and thinking. Never fool yourself into believing that you are better than another because God has given you more grace then someone else. This type of thinking is what causes divisions and clicks in the body of Christ and God hates this sort of thing. Do not do it. We all have work to do in the body of Christ. All of God’s grace and the different split levels of his grace are for healing, favor in certain arenas, social circles, for nations, political arena, even shopping at the market and seeing terrific discounts when you enter into the market; all these are different levels of grace are for the glory of God, and to help us all walk in total victory.

There will be times when you will experience absolutely no grace in your life because there isn’t anything that God wants you to do that moment. Then, out of nowhere, there is tremendous amount of grace only to do what He wants you to do, but always remember, it all starts with humility: humbling yourselves to God and to one another. This is when the grace of God will grow because he knows he can trust you with the next assignment because you have put others before yourselves, humility!

There is no greater humility in the world then to exchange your life for another’s, to give up all that you know, and to allow Jesus Christ to come into your heart, literally changing places and putting God first, allowing Jesus to live inside of you. That is the ultimate humility of mankind; salvation. That is amazing grace. Amen.

“ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) “ (EPHESIANS 2:5)

“ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” (I PETER 5:5-6).

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (II PETER 3:18).

Pastor Helen Trower