GRACE

                                                                                    GRACE

There is a story that is told about a train drawbridge operator whose job was to raise and lower a bridge.  The bridge would normally remain up due to heavy traffic on the seaway.  On this particular day the drawbridge operator’s son came to work with him.  The father warned the son to stay close and not go near the tracks and the bridge.  When it came time for the drawbridge to be lowered, because there was a train coming, the father looked around for the son and could not find him.  He saw his son stuck in the mud on the train track.  He knew that if he left the room to help his son, it would cost the lives of all the people coming on the train.  He also knew that if he lowered the bridge, his son would be killed.  As the train approached, he lowered the bridge turning his head away as the bridge was lowered.  The passengers got off the train and crossed safely not knowing that the drawbridge operator’s son’s life was just given for theirs. 

This is a very sad story but it represents an act of grace.  “For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through (your) faith.  And this (salvation) is not of yourselves (of your own doing, it came not through your own striving), but it is the gift of God.  Not because of works (not the fulfillment of the Law’s demands).  Lest any man should boast.”  Ephesians 2:9-10 (Amp.Bible)

There is another story about the Russian Czar Alexander, who used to love to disguise himself among his people to find out what they had to say.  One day while visiting an army camp, he saw a young soldier sitting at a table with his head on his arm and sound asleep.  Curious about the paper next to the soldier, he tiptoed to the back of the chair looking over the soldier’s debts.  At the end of the list were the words, “who can pay so much?”  It appeared that the young soldier had gambled away all of his money and was going to take his own life for fear on not being able to meet his debts.   Alexander, the Czar, picked up a pen and below the young soldier’s question wrote, “I, Alexander, Czar of Russia.”  The next morning when the soldier woke up he immediately took hold of the revolver when suddenly he saw writing on his letter that he had not written.  At that very moment a messenger came to his tent with a bag of money from the Czar.  His debt had been paid in full and his life had been spared.  (Sermon by Mark Sparks)

Jesus Christ is the personification of grace.  He willingly gave His life as a ransom for us by dying on a cross even while we were still sinners.  He became a sin offering to cleanse us from our sins.  He Who had no sin, became sin so that we, who are sinful, can be made into the righteousness of God in Christ.

A.W. Tozar said, “Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines Him to bestow benefits on the undeserving.” Grace is unmerited.  It is undeserving.  Why would God send His only Son to die for us?  He sent His Son because He loves us.  “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He (even)  gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.  John 3:16 (Amp.Bible)

Essentially, we don’t have to do anything to merit grace.  It is given freely.  A.T. Pierson, who is a well-known preacher, said, “However poor a preacher, I can preach the gospel better than Gabriel can, because Gabriel cannot say what I can say, “I am a sinner saved by grace.”  Yes, even angels cannot say that they have been saved by grace, only we can!

Do you believe that you are a sinner saved by grace?  Have you given your life to God and asked for forgiveness?  Are you willing to surrender your life to God?  If you are willing, repeat this prayer after me:

Salvation Prayer:

Dear God, I come to you in the Name of Jesus.

I believe that You raised Jesus from the dead.

I am a sinner and I ask You to forgive me.

I also forgive others who have hurt me.

I ask You Jesus to come into my heart.

I surrender my life to You.

I thank you for Your grace.

I will serve you all the days of my life.

Amen