Love and Grace
The Manifestation of God
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (NIV)
“For the Grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people”, Titus 2:11 (NIV)
Love and grace what a powerful combination. Adding in mercy makes this a recipe for God to reconcile his creation and transform them into the image of his son Christ Jesus.
God is love, 1 John 4:8. We cannot separate the two. All of his other attributes are the result of who he is, LOVE. Love gives. Grace and mercy are the result of love. God is unconditional love, He loves in spite of mankind’s failure and our hatred for Him.
God shows his love according to Ephesians 2:4, “ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions…” Ephesians 2:4 goes on to say, “ it is by grace you have been saved.”
God exercises love for his creation by first showing mercy. “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy”, James 5:11. Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve. In fact, we all have sinned and deserve death. (Romans 3:23) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Romans 6:23.
God continues to exercises his love by giving grace, in the person of his Son. Jesus came to take on the sin of the world so we can have life, and fellowship with His Father. Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve. We did not deserve life but God’s love demands that his rebellious creation have an opportunity to live.
As the Son, God continues to exercise love for His creation. Jesus expresses this love by sending us another helper. John 14:16, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. “ The Spirit of Truth is the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of God, also the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit continues the work of love by helping us, giving us power to live the life Christ gave us through his death. Eternal life is the manifestation of unconditional love.
God is love… Rosita Dozier
