Growing up in a small town, there weren’t many ways to get into trouble. Nonetheless, my best friend and I could always find a little “trouble.” Late on a weekend night, we returned to my house after galavanting about town. We talked and giggled as we clanged around the kitchen to fix a snack. The night was young for two high school girls as my parents slept.
We didn’t hear him pad barefoot into the kitchen, wiping sleep out of his eyes. My dad stood in the doorway and glared at us. His only comment was, “Home a little late, aren’t you?” I knew I was in big trouble. Morning dawned and my punishment loomed. It never came. Nothing more was ever said. I experienced a moment of grace that I can remember to this day.
That was not the last moment of grace I needed in my life. Over many years of seeking God, or more accurately put, God seeking me, I experienced God’s grace. It wasn’t until I knew Jesus Christ as my Savior that I realized the extent of that grace. The difference now was that I didn’t want to waste the grace. Getting into trouble was no longer fun for God had placed a desire deep inside of me to serve Him.
Today, as I make wiser choices in my life, I recognize that I still need God’s flood of grace. Every day my heart yearns for more grace. And my Father in heaven still delights to bestow His grace upon me.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.
1 Timothy 1:14
The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Snowdrops for faith 
So reassuring to know that He wants to give us the grace we so desperately need. And that his supply never ends.
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Donna… Even now, years after professing faith in Jesus Christ, I still need and rely on that grace!
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Sometimes I am aware of the grace that God has bestowed on me and yet, sometimes, I wonder how many times I was unaware of the gifts I received. It makes me think of my father on earth who did good things for me without my knowing of it. ~Ginene
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Ginene… I totally agree with your comment. And those gifts of grace make me love my earthly father and my heavenly Father even more!
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Yes Debbie it is by God’s Mercy and Grace that we have been saved it’s a free gift that we will show we have, as we work out our Salvation not meaning work for it with The Holy Spirit’s empowering.
God knows those who are His before we are Born and not one of us will be lost and as aim to be perfected in Love, putting our Carnal flesh to death as Paul did, if we do sin we will be forgiven, Jesus is our Advocate but how wonderful that no Temptation is greater than we can bear, Jesus has given us the victory over the slavery of Sin and we are to reckon we are dead to it.
John 8:34-36 Jesus replied, “I tell you the Truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Christian Love Always – Anne.
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Annie… Years ago, I heard a paraphrase for Ephesians 2:8-9 that has stuck with me. “Saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.” As a tag along to John 8:34-36, I think of Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” May we live in that freedom that Jesus died on the cross for!
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Yes I agree Debbie but as God confirms in Scripture we will show we have Salvation, take some time to read the Scriptures below and ask God to give you the full picture of His grace that is worked out in our lives, if Jesus lives in us we will walk as He did now, not just when we die it will not be by our might but by His strength working in us..
God’s Truth are guiding words not what we think or have heard from others, to be honest I only share what Jesus has showed me by the confirmation of Scripture, some of which is below. and they are never in error when we understand them having asked for His wisdom and empowering and without doubting we have them and He than leads us into all Truth..Luke 11:13 Proverbs 4:7 – James 1:5-6 – Colossians 2 :2 -3 (KJV)
1 – God is Love, it is His seed or Nature and Love can do no evil, not ever! 1 John 3:9
2 – When we were Born, we had Adam’s seed or Nature but we are under God’s grace through the Blood of Christ which covered us as it did the Old Testerment Saints. By His foreknowledge God knows those who are His, He knows all things, like who will come to heart repentance and who won’t and He chooses us according to His foreknowledge, we can’t earn Salvation by doing fleshy works although we will show by His good works we have it, Faith without works is dead.
3 -When we are old enough to know right from wrong, it is our choice when we come to heart repentance, God won’t force us to accept His free gift of Salvation in Christ Jesus and so be conformed into His image but The Spirit does draw us to Him, but until we come to our senses and repent and believe, we will reap what we sow .
4 – God tells us when we are Born Again we are set free, we have His seed or Nature which is Love, so we also can do no evil. John8:34-36 1John3:9 Ephesians 4:23-24 -1John 3:1 6-7 (KJV)
5 – He tells us to reckon ourselves dead to sin, not to say we will sin but be forgiven, as a man thinks in his heart so he will do. God also tells us no Temptation will be greater than we can bear, He provides the way of escape when we ask. There is a difference between weaknesses and shortcoming and when we are sinning, we only judge and rebuke sin with God’s Truth not a fleshy agenda.
6 – God tells us to put our flesh to death by the Spirit (Luke 11:13), what is dead can’t cause us to sin. Paul showed the battle he had with his flesh in Romans 7 but than showed us how walk in Victory in… Romans8:12-15 – Romans6 – Colossians3:4-6 – Galatians24 -26 – 2Corinthians7:1 and other Scriptures.(KJV)
7 – God tells us if we say we haven’t sinned and so don’t need Salvation, we are calling Him a liar but if we say we will sin after we have been Born again, we are also calling Him a liar, He tells us we CANNOT sin when we have His seed or Nature, Jesus lives His life in us which means we are perfected in Love and Love does not sin – 1John 3:9 1John 3:6-7 – 1John 4:17-19 -1John 2:4-6 Romans 8:12-15 – Romans 6:5-7 -Daniel 12:10 (KJV) and we are to aim to be perfected, Jesus tells us to seek, ask and knock.
8- Can we loose our Salvation No! not after we have been Born Again and if we are known by God we will be Born again, we were already saved before we are conceived but after repentance we are working out our Salvation, meaning doing what God asks us to do so we can be complete by being perfected in His Love, this is not not worldly self centered love. But before we are Born again we are to be on gard against Satan’s temptations to cause us to fall into sin, which we can be forgiven of when we repent, Jesus is our Advocate, we than turn from evil and do good by The Holy Spirits empowering.
9 – The only way we can loose our Salvation is to reject Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and this is Blaspheming The Holy Spirit which is the unforgivable sin, we are calling Him a liar, He shows us Jesus is a reality. But if we are known by God as His, He knows we won’t do this, He knows our heart, this is why He chose us.
10 – How do we know if we are Born Again, The Holy Spirit tells us… How does He do this… Do we Love God, does it hurt us to hear others belittle Him, do we care if others are in darkness, do you seek to help those in need, do we Love unconditionally and Sacrificially, do we NO longer sin ….
11 – We are perfected in Love by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, if we are not but we are seeking to do all these things, we will be. What if we are not, than we are still in darkness- 2 Corinthians 7: 1.Hebrews 6:1 – Matthew 5:48 – 1John 4:16-17 -1John 4: 18-19 – (KJV)
12 – What is the most important thing for us to do … LOVE GOD AND OTHERS not because we have to but because we won’t to and we will won’t to do so, as we walk in The Spirit. Romans 8 (KJV )
Blessings – Anne.
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Anne, As always, you come prepared with Scripture! I love that about you. Honestly, I don’t think I will ever fully understand grace this side of heaven. But I continue to walk it out, learn more and grow in my faith through God’s grace revealed in my life and others through Scripture. I love the paraphrase for Ephesians 2:8-9 (“Saved by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone.”) because it is our starting point in faith. It lays down the Gospel in 10 words, simple enough for anyone anywhere to understand!
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Yes Debbie we can’t earn our Salvation, it’s a free gift, Jesus is our Redeemer but are you working out your Salvation, no not meaning working for it, have you put your Carnal flesh to death that causes you to sin and are you aiming to be Perfected in Love or are you just waiting to be sapped ?
We all need God’s wisdom and empowering which we ask for and receive, yes I’m also still learning as Jesus our only Teacher leads me into all Truth and my Passion for His Truth keeps my focus strong, the Bible is my brag book … What a Awesome God we have for sure.
God’s Blessings Now and Always – Anne
I’m starting on your Power point soon Debbie, I have enough Pictures of Snowdrops now and yes a bunny too.
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Relationships just don’t work without grace. Period.
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Diana… Agreed, grace on so many levels!
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