Rich In Mercy

[Albert Finch]

Ephesians 2:8 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."

Paul says that grace save us "through faith." Faith unlocks the power of grace and releases it to function in our world--and faith itself is another gift of God. The difference between both gifts is, the grace-gift must be activated by the faith-gift.

We must:

1. Believe that God is "rich in mercy".

2. We must accept as true that God loves us with "great love."

3. We must not doubt that He atoned for "our transgressions."

4. We must be confident we are "alive together with Christ."

John 1:16 - "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace."

The same grace that turns our hearts toward Christ continues to work in us, transforming even our sufferings and trials into virtue and power.

We've been taught that grace is God's unmerited favor, which of course, it is. Yet unmerited favor is only on aspect of grace. In reality, grace is God's promise to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

Romans 4:3 - "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."

When Abraham "believed God" it meant that he believed what God had promised would come to pass. God promised to do for Abraham what Abraham and Sarah could not fulfill on their own. This is the glory of God's grace: it accomplishes what is otherwise impossible for us.

Observation

Grace not only chooses me, saves me eternally and blankets my life with mercy, but grace also works in me realities unattainable without divine help.

Zechariah 4:7 -- "What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'"

Zerubbabel had mountains in his life that were too much for him. He had a task that was beyond his abilities. Yet God promised His Spirit would help, and when it was done, multitudes would be shouting "Grace, grace" at the finished work.

Affirmations

I don't postpone my breakthrough -- I believe that God's grace is here to release me!

I don't run from the mountains in my life -- I face them with faith -- and shout "Grace,grace" to them and let God make my mountains into "a plain."

I speak to the mountain of discouragement, sickness or financial need -- GRACE, GRACE!