Matchless Grace

Key verse

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.

Galatians 2:20-21 NKJV

In 1911 a woman by the name of Julia Johnston wrote a song called, Grace, Greater Than Our Sin. The message of the song pointed to a grace that was marvelous, infinite, and matchless—grace that would take away any stain of sin and be greater than our guilt. The first time I heard this song was about 70 years later when I was just a little girl, and I didn’t quite understand what all of it meant. On that day, when the choir sang that song and the pastor called forward anyone who wanted to receive this free gift of grace through Jesus Christ, I was moved enough to know I wanted this thing he spoke of; I jumped out of my seat and headed down for prayer.

As life would have it, my little 8-year-old self grew up. Temptation, sin, and deception of the enemy telling me I wasn’t enough set in. Over time I made choices that were not at all godly. I seemed to have forgotten about that gift I had received when I was a child. Twelve more years passed. I attended youth camps, partied on the weekends, sang in the choir, experimented with substances, and had all the wrong dating relationships. This led to feelings of rejection and defeat that overwhelmed me. At the age of twenty, while living another typical day of pushing down guilt and shame, I sat in a church service where God’s grace drew me back to Him. He reminded me that I was forgiven and accepted and that nothing in this world would ever separate me from His love and grace. He reminded me that He loved me enough to give Himself for me and that all of those things that cause so much shame and guilt were dealt with through grace. God saw me through the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ, not through the brokenness of my sin. That day I realized how much God loved me!

The grace of God through Jesus Christ is a gift. Nothing good we do, nor commandments we break, compare to the matchless grace of God.

His character is represented in this scripture:

…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 NKJV

We were given something we didn’t deserve just because God loved us that much. Another scripture says:

I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through [keeping rules], then Christ died in vain. Galatians 2:21 NKJV

The marvelous, infinite, matchless grace I sang of thirty-seven years ago never left me. It will never leave you. All you have to do is accept it.

Prayer

Thank You, God, for loving us so much that You would give Yourself for us. Thank You that we do not have to do anything to earn Your love and that we can receive Your grace through faith. Thank You that where sin abounds, grace abounds that much more! Thank You that Your grace isn’t just a thing, it is the very person of Jesus! Today I accept Your grace and Your love in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.