The Propensity of Grace

.... In our previous posting we described grace as an actual empowerment, given by God in response to our faith, that we should walk with Him as servants of righteousness. But beyond empowering us, grace includes an actual propensity toward goodness that will naturally incline our hearts toward good deeds:

.... "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

(Titus 2:11-14)

.... "For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you."

(2 Corinthians 1:12)

.... In this sense, grace is the living empowerment behind our being a new creation in Christ. It is a manifestation of His life within us, right down to the nitty-gritty of what it takes to make it though the trials of each day.

.... Therefore, just as we were formerly sinners by nature, and had a propensity within ourselves toward committing sin (called ‘the law of sin and death’), which overcame us and made us servants to sin; grace, in turn, overcomes the law of sin and death, and enables us to behave righteously in spite of it all (just as Jesus Himself was tempted, but always overcame). So in this sense, grace is also referred to "the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus."

.... "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

(Romans 8:1-2)

.... So the empowerment of grace, from the fullness of Christ, allows us both to serve God and to avoid serving sin (John 1:16). We will continue this discussion in our next posting.

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Daily Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 1