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Grace Starting Points

Grace Starting Points

JUNE 5, 2014

/ Articles / Grace Starting Points

The Father always uses a person to get the grace rock rolling into a life…

Consider Colossians 1:3-7 (ESV):

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf…

Ah… Epaphras was the man who took the Gospel to an off the main road town like Colossae.  I want to meet him some day…the Colossian grace starting point…the grace rock if you will.

I get grace from people every day by being only somewhat good and often not good enough… for example from my wife and children and daughters-in-law.

Grace is receiving a gift you didn’t earn in the face of overwhelming and compelling evidence that you didn’t deserve it.  Like I said, I get grace from family!

Christian grace is receiving the triune God’s free affection and His in-me planted ability to trust in Jesus Christ alone as my Savior, in spite of my downright evil heart and God-resisting and attacking actions… resulting in…

…being declared not guilty for my real sins and offenses against God…

…being pronounced clean (John 15:3) in God’s sight… (Clean!? Me?)

…being declared worthy, therefore, with no need of a frenzied need to produce my own worth…

…fearing no reprisals or any condemnation for any offenses I have ever committed or will ever commit!

This is the grace that is the spiritual protein God provides us which seeps deep into every cell of our minds and souls, so that we men are free from every notion that our worth is derived from our earthly philanthropy or service or talents or accomplishments.

This is what gives men true peace.

Colossians 1:2  “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.”

This is what fuels growth.

I don’t have to be good… but now I want to be good… and He brings good through me.

Kick the grace rock rolling into your life again today… and showing grace to someone else… be the grace starting point for someone today.

God is always the first kicker anyway, but it’s amazing when His kick through us makes a difference.

Pete Alwinson

Pete Alwinson

Pete Alwinson is Executive Director of FORGE: City-Wide Ministry to Men with Man in the Mirror.

Pete Alwinson's Full Bio
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