“You cannot have grace without the cross. But because of the Cross, you have full access to His grace.”...Dr. Charles Stanley
The book of Romans is one of my favorites. To me it’s the most beautiful letter Paul wrote, and I often find myself turning to its chapters when I’m feeling particularly unlovable and unworthy of God; His love, and His blessings. I love what Martin Luther wrote about the book, “Romans is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.“
In these first chapters Paul makes it known in no uncertain terms that there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (vs. 3:23) Salvation comes only through the unmerited favor of God and the work of Jesus on the Cross. Because of our faith in Him we are, "justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” (vs. 3:24) Such a love our Father shows us in that when we who are guilty of breaking His law and owing a debt of death, instead of collecting our penalty He Himself laid down His own life in payment. That is God’s amazing grace. And it doesn’t stop there. For not only is God’s Grace the means by which we are saved, it also describes our standing before Him. But what does it mean to stand in God’s grace?
One of the ways the enemy keeps us downtrodden is by urging us to look at ourselves through fallen eyes. Fallen eyes see unworthiness, unforgiveness, guilt, and shame. Fallen eyes see the sin we commit daily and fill us with condemnation. Fallen eyes make us wonder how God could ever love such wicked sinners as ourselves. But because of our faith in Jesus when we stand before Him, God looks at us through perfect eyes filled with His grace. “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” (vs. 5:1-2)
The grace in which we stand counts us as forgiven, and righteous. We are deemed worthy and are placed in high favor before God. Once His enemy, we are now reconciled to Him and can walk in peace, fellowship, and love; never to be separated from God again. His grace calls us His beloved children and gives us joy knowing that we were created for His glory and will be with Him in that glory forever. Standing in God’s grace means us that no matter what the world or Satan tries to tell us, we are wanted, we are loved, and we are His!
“When the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirt, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5-6)
Our Heavenly Father is, “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10) He take us, who are forever and painfully undeserving, and offers us His gift of love and Salvation through no work of our own, instead giving His only Son as our payment in full. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (vs. 5:8) Once were like tarnished pieces of silver, but when we receive Jesus as our Savior, God polishes away the grime and pollution of sin until we become shining reflections of His light. He sees us as finished, perfect, and clothed in righteousness. All of this is because we stand in His grace. And I for for one can think of no better place to be!
