The central theme of the 2010 General Conference Session in Atlanta is “Proclaiming God’s Grace.” It is always good to contemplate the wonder of God’s grace; God’s grace is the foundation of Christian life.
The fullness of God’s grace is beyond human appreciation or comprehension. The riches of His goodness cannot be expressed by mortal tongues. We can make a feeble attempt, but our best efforts will be puny approximations. We can admire the beauty of divine grace, but we cannot fully explore its depths. At best we can only stand in awe and exclaim with the apostle Paul: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36).
Anyone who attempts to talk about God’s grace must begin by confessing personal inadequacy for the task. At best we are clay pots entrusted with a priceless treasure. Yet God can enable even weak mortals to speak His Word and glorify His name. “Our competence comes from God” (2 Cor. 3:5). “For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5). The “all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Cor. 4:7).
His grace is unfathomable and matchless and our finite minds cannot grasp the depths of it. But I invite you to consider three aspects of God’s grace.
God’s grace is unmerited favor. We never deserve it. For example, when we believe in God, we believe that we are saved by grace. In reality, however, we are saved because of what God did for us, not because of anything we did. We deserve punishment, but God shows mercy to us. Ellen G. White affirms, “Grace is unmerited favor, and the believer is justified without any merit of his own, without any claim to offer to God.”1
God’s grace is for all sinners. God knows you from eternity and intends good for you. He knows your sinfulness and your need for grace. It is your privilege to receive and embrace God’s grace. “The angels, who know nothing of sin, do not understand what it is to have grace exercised toward them; but our sinfulness calls for the exercise of grace from a merciful God.”2
God’s grace is abundant. If you feel discouraged about your Christian life, know that God’s grace is sufficient for you. “We are to be the recipients of the treasures of God’s grace, we are to drink of the living waters and be refreshed, and then we are to become the channel of the grace of God to others.”3
As you ponder God’s matchless grace, how do you find it expressed in your life? How do you respond to this incredible gift? How do you share this abundant gift with those around you?
1 Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, 1:398.
2 Ibid., 332.
3 White, Review and Herald, January 28, 1890, par. 2.
Jonas Arrais General Conference Associate Ministerial Secretary
