“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
Jesus died for you and me an agonizing death on a cross. He did this as a man. A man who was tempted by everything we are tempted by and more. He experienced every temptation that you and I have ever faced. But in those temptations, He never sinned. So in verse 16 of chapter 4 in the book of Hebrews, Jesus calls us to draw near to His throne of grace with confidence. Amazing, huh? With confidence? Because Jesus experienced human temptation, He stands ready at the “throne of grace” to give immediate and sympathetic aid when we are tempted to enter into sin.
Grace is defined as “that which a person is not entitled to by law, but which is extended to him as favor.” However, grace is NOT your license to freely and purposely sin, but instead is the very act of Christ that FREES us from the bondage of sin. We deserve death. Jesus died for us. We deserve condemnation. Jesus bore that for us. We deserve to live in bondage. Jesus freed us from that.
God has given us and continues to give us unending grace and mercy through the death of His only Son, Jesus Christ. We too are called to be like Christ, to take on His characteristics, to strive to be like Him. We cannot do this on our own, so He further gifted us with the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). Therefore, we are also called to give grace, just as it has so freely been given to us. (Let me quickly point out the difference between grace and mercy: grace is receiving a pardon we do not deserve; mercy is not receiving the punishment we deserve.)
So now I ask you: do you extend grace to those people you are in daily contact with? Your husband? Your children? Your friends? Your enemies? We are called to do just that. Give grace to others and to extend that grace without limits. “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32. We often ‘run out’ of grace for others, particularly those we love the most, like our spouses and children. Does God ever ‘run out’ of grace for us? Never. Christ is continually interceding for us. We are called to be imitators of Christ, and that includes giving unending grace to one another. Practice giving others grace this week and experience the blessings that can be reaped from it.
Heavenly Father, teach us what Your grace truly means. Help us to know deep in our hearts that You have fully extended Your grace to us through Jesus Christ, Your only Son. Then, Lord, teach us how to love one another in the same way You love us and have called us to love, extending grace to one another and forgiving others just as You have forgiven us. Thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit to guide us in giving that unending grace to those people You have blessed our lives with. Amen.
by: Jill Johnson














