GRACE, is that you?

Hello Lightbrights! You ever stop and take time to ponder the grace of God in your life? Webster describes grace as courteous goodwill, honor or credit and refinement. The bible describes it simply as unmerited favor. Meaning there is nothing we can do to ever gain or deserve it, God just extends it to us as His creation. In His infinite wisdom He knows it's faith that propels us to believe in Him and we will often miss the mark, we will fall into sin and bad habits, we may even deny His existence, and even in this denial, He extends us grace.

Grace is something the devil will never experience again from the Father.

You see, Lucifer had upfront , unobscured vision and communion with God. He was continually in His presence, knew he was a created being and could bask in the beauty and glory and knowing of God uninterrupted. So when he fell, along with the angels who followed- God's grace was forever cut off from Him. Lucifer had fallen indeed.

Now when you think of the story of Adam and Eve- they also had been in the very presence of God, talked with Him, communed with Him and received instruction directly from Him. And when they fell they also were banished from His presence.

But here is where grace stepped in.

One may ask , why is Lucifer damned without grace, but Adam and Eve were not?

The answer to that question is because Adam and Eve, unlike Lucifer were made in the image of God. God Himself stamped the Imago Dei (latin for image of God) upon humanity not on the angels. We can see the picture of grace in the very first stages of mankind and how God bestowed His favor on His creation.

Genesis 2:7, says God breathed into Adam and he became a living soul. We don't see that picture anywhere in the scriptures pertaining to angels. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says, But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

It was at man's weakest and lowest point- the point where sin entered into the world thru Adam, that God extended His grace. God's grace came with a promise even as they were dispelled from God's presence. The promise that they would not always remain in a sinful state, but that a Savior would come and crush the head of the serpent--more grace.

Infinite grace. Because by that grace, humanity and all creation would be redeemed.

Take some time this week, and remind yourself of those moments where you know that you know that you KNOW, God extended you grace! Even if there were consequences to your sinful actions or bad habits, God made a way of escape. That way could have looked like removing you from a situation, closing or opening a door, or He simply could have made you be still and rely on Him and not your own power.

God is a good God. A gracious God.

We could never repay Him for all the grace He has given us, or the grace upon grace that He gives us daily. Find the joy in that.

The biggest display of GRACE is this- BUT God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

Let us bask in the grace of God and in our delight let us remember to also grant grace to others.

Until next time,

Kee Isadore

Meditate on Grace this week:

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

Titus 2: 11- For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.

Hebrews 4:16- Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Romans 5:1-2-Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.