THE GRACE OF GOD


Grace the best teacher

Real grace shocked, is scandalous. Grace does not excuse sin, but she accepts the sinner. It is part of the nature of grace that we do not deserve it. The grace of God changes our lives and is what makes the Christian faith. Many people who come into contact with the grace of God are afraid of being out of the law. They think that would make them more sinful. Paul became with this view ...

Founded on mercy

Do all paths lead to God? Some believe that all religions are a variation of the same theme - doing this or that and going to heaven. At first glance, it seems to be so. Hinduism promises the believer unity with an impersonal God. Getting into nirvana requires good works during many rebirths. Buddhism, which also promises nirvana, calls for the four noble truths and the eightfold path through ...

Afraid of the last court?

When we understand that we live, weave and are in Christ (Acts 17,28), in the One who created all things and redeemed all things and who loves us unconditionally, we can put all fear and worry about where we stand with God and begin to truly be in the certainty of his love and directing power in to rest our lives. The gospel is good news. Indeed, it is not just for a few people, but for all ...

The parable of the potter

Have you ever watched a potter at work or even taken a pottery class? The prophet Jeremiah visited a pottery workshop. Not out of curiosity or because he was looking for a new hobby, but because God commanded him to do so: «Open up and go down to the potter's house; there I will let you hear my words" (Jer 18,2). Long before Jeremiah was born, God was already at work in his life as a potter, this work leads…

The life in Christ

As Christians we look at death with hope of a future physical resurrection. Our relationship with Jesus not only guarantees forgiveness of the penalty for our sins because of His death, it also guarantees victory over the power of sin because of Jesus' resurrection. The Bible also speaks of a resurrection that we experience here and now. This resurrection is spiritual, not physical, and has to do with our relationship with Jesus Christ...

Does God live on earth?

Two well-known old gospel songs say: “An uninhabited apartment is waiting for me” and “My property is just behind the mountain”. These lyrics are based on the words of Jesus: «In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, would I have said to you, 'I go to prepare the place for you?' (John 14,2). These verses are often quoted at funerals because they promise that Jesus will prepare for God's people...

The Prince of Peace

When Jesus Christ was born, a host of angels proclaimed: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased" (Lk 2,14). As recipients of God's peace, Christians are uniquely called out in this violent and selfish world. The Spirit of God leads Christians to a life of peacemaking, caring, giving and love. In contrast, the world around us is perpetually in…

Just come as you are!

Billy Graham has often used a phrase to encourage people to accept the salvation we have in Jesus: He said, "Just come as you are!" It is a reminder that God sees everything: our best and worst and he still loves us. The call "just to come as you are" is a reflection of the words of the apostle Paul: "For Christ was dead to us wicked even at the time when we were still weak. Now…

What God reveals affects us all

It is actually pure grace that you are saved. There is nothing you can do for yourself except to trust what God gives you. You did not deserve it by doing anything; for God does not want anyone to be able to refer to his own achievements before him (Ephesians 2,8–9GN). How wonderful when we Christians come to understand grace! This understanding takes away the pressure and stress we often put on ourselves. It makes us...

God has nothing against you

A psychologist named Lawrence Kolberg developed a detailed test to measure maturity in the field of moral reasoning. He came to the conclusion that good behavior to avoid punishment is the lowest form of motivation to do what is right. Are we just changing our behavior to avoid punishment? Does Christian remorse look like this? Is Christianity just one of many ways to pursue moral development? Many Christians ...

Erased forever

Have you ever lost an important file on your computer? While this can be unsettling, most people who are familiar with computers can successfully restore the seemingly lost file. It's really good to know that all is not lost when trying to find information that has been accidentally deleted. However, it is far from comforting when you try to do things ...

The story of Mefi-Boschets

One story in the Old Testament particularly fascinates me. The main actor is called Mefi-Boscheth. The people of Israel, the Israelites are in battle with their archenemy, the Philistines. In this particular situation they were defeated. Their King Saul and his son Jonathan died. The news reaches the capital, Jerusalem. Panic and chaos break out in the palace because it is known that if the king is killed, his ...

God's grace - too good to be true?

It sounds too good to be true so begins a familiar saying and you know it's unlikely. But when it comes to God's grace, it is true. Nevertheless, some people insist that grace can not be like that and resort to the law to avoid what they see as a license to sin. Their sincere but misguided efforts are a form of legalism that gives people the transforming power of grace ...

God's grace

God's grace is the undeserved favor that God is willing to give to all of creation. In the broadest sense, God's grace is expressed in every act of divine self-revelation. Thanks to grace man and the whole cosmos are redeemed from sin and death through Jesus Christ, and thanks to grace man gains the power to know and love God and Jesus Christ and to enter into the joy of eternal salvation in Kingdom of god. (Colossians 1,20; ...
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The diverse grace of God

The word “grace” has a high value in Christian circles. That's why it's important to think about their true meaning. Understanding grace is a great challenge, not because it is unclear or difficult to grasp, but because of its immense scope. The word “grace” is derived from the Greek word “charis” and in the Christian understanding describes the undeserved favor or benevolence that God gives to people...

Birthday candles

One of the hardest things we believe as Christians is that God has forgiven us all of our sins. We know that's true in theory, but when it comes to practical everyday situations, we act as if it weren't. We tend to act the same way we do when we forgive as we do when blowing out a candle. When we try to blow them out, the candles keep coming on no matter how hard we try. These candles ...

The essence of grace

Sometimes, concerns come to my ears, we would put the grace too much in the foreground. As a recommended corrective we then argue that we could, as a counterweight to the doctrine of grace, take account of those of obedience, justice, and other duties mentioned in Scripture, and especially in the New Testament. Anyone who worries about "too much granted grace" has legitimate concerns. ...

Grace and hope

In the story of Les Miserables (The Wretched), Jean Valjean is invited to a bishop's residence after his release from prison, is given a meal and a room for the night. During the night Valjean steals some of the silverware and runs away, but is caught by the gendarmes, who bring him back to the bishop with the stolen items. Instead of accusing Jean, the bishop gives him two silver candlesticks and wakes the ...

The touch of God

Nobody touched me for five years. No one. Not a soul. Not my wife. not my child not my friends Nobody touched me. you saw me They spoke to me, I felt love in their voice. I saw concern in her eyes, but I didn't feel her touch. I asked for what is commonplace for you guys, a handshake, a warm hug, a pat on the shoulder to get my attention or a kiss on...

To be too good to be true

Most Christians do not believe the gospel - they think that salvation can only be achieved if one earns it by faith and morally impeccable life. "You do not get anything in life." "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is not true either." These well-known facts of life are inundated by each and every one of us through personal experiences. But the Christian message is against it. The…

Law and grace

When I listened to Billy Joel's "State of Mind New York" song a few weeks ago while reviewing my online news, I accidentally came across the following article. It states that the state of New York recently passed a law prohibiting pet tattooing and piercing. It amused me to learn that a law like this is necessary. Apparently, this practice is becoming a trend. I doubt that…

Nothing separates us from the love of God

Time and again “Paul argues in Romans that we owe it to Christ that God regards us as justified. Although we sin sometimes, those sins are counted against the old self who was crucified with Christ; our sins do not count against what we are in Christ. We have a duty to fight sin - not to be saved, but because we are already children of God. In the last part of Chapter 8 ...

Faith - see the invisible

There are still a few weeks until we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. Two things happened to us when Jesus died and was raised. The first is that we died with him. And the second thing is that we were raised with him. The apostle Paul puts it this way: «If you are now raised up with Christ, look for what is above, where Christ is, sitting on the right hand of God. Seek what is above, not what is on earth. ...

Stay focused on God's grace

Recently I saw a video that parodied a TV commercial. In this case, it was about a fictional Christian worship CD titled "It's All About Me". The CD contained the songs: "Lord I Lift My Name on High", "I Exalt Me" and "There is No Like Me". (Nobody is like me). Strange? Yes, but it illustrates the sad truth. We humans tend to be ourselves ...

The immeasurable riches

What treasures or valuables do you own that are worth keeping safe? Her grandparents' jewelry? Or the latest smartphone with all the trimmings? Whatever it is, these things can easily become our idols and distract us from what is important. The Bible teaches us that we should never fear losing the true treasure, Jesus Christ. The intimate relationship with Jesus surpasses all...

Does grace tolerate sin?

Living in grace means rejecting, not tolerating, or accepting sin. God is against sin - he hates it. He refused to leave us in our sinful state and sent his Son to redeem us from her and her effects. When Jesus spoke to a woman who committed adultery, he said to her: "I do not judge you either," Jesus replied. You can go, but don't sin anymore! " (Joh 8,11 HFA). Jesus' statement ...
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God loves us

Do you know that most people who believe in God have a hard time believing that God loves them? People find it easy to envision God as Creator and Judge, but terribly difficult to envision God as the One who loves them and cares deeply for them. But the truth is that our infinitely loving, creative and perfect God creates nothing that is contrary to himself, that is in opposition to himself. All that God...