God’s Lavish Gift of Grace

“ For by grace, you have been saved through faith. This is not your own doing; what is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Eph. 2:8-9

Remember when you were a child at Christmas time and Christmas morning you thought one sibling was getting more presents than you? You thought you were the good one and you deserved more presents than them. Your belief was that you were good and so you were entitled to more. You allowed a sense of injustice to creep into your heart and mind.

You thought you deserved more presents or, at the very least, an equal amount in your eyes. After all, you earned it and it should be equally distributed. Our sense of entitlement allows us to believe God should grant us grace more often or, at least, equally to all which means grace is common and ordinary and that we are automatically entitled to it.

Your sinful sense of entitlement is a root from a prideful heart. At that point, grace is no longer grace but what we think we are “owed.” Are you really owed more gifts than your sibling? Are you entitled to more? More from God ? More of His grace? If you believe you are entitled to more than you have, it is offensive to God. I’m sure your belief in your entitlement is offensive to your parents also. Not one of us is entitled to more!

We don’t deserve more gifts because of what we have done through the year. We don’t receive His gift of grace because of our “works.” It’s not about what we have done or left undone.

Grace is truly a gift which requires no reciprocity. At Christmas, we all give and receive gifts but in most all cases these gifts have not been earned and are not deserved. The gifts are given without expecting anything in return. The gifts are of no value unless you receive and open them. They are even better if we put them to use in our lives. So, if God’s grace is a gift to you, your only action is to receive the gift He has given you. When you open this special gift, you will find it’s even more beautiful and extravagant inside.

If you know you are unworthy and you receive God’s gift of grace, it is overwhelming and humbling even more. It is a blessing that is undeserved. It removes the sin of entitlement from us. Everything we have and everything we are comes simply because of the undeserved and unmerited grace of God. The gift deals with the pride and entitlement that tries to deceive us into believing that we deserve a gift.

The ultimate gift this Christmas is His gift of grace wrapped up in love. Accept His gift of grace with a humble heart and unwrap it and use it and feel the fullness of Him.

“And from His fullness, we have all received grace upon grace.” John 1:16