As a family, when we talk about God’s grace in bringing us to Christ, Sarah often points out that God placed her in our family so that she would hear about and come to know God. She recognizes God’s sovereign plan in how He orchestrated His call on her life.
Paul also had a deep appreciation for God’s grace to him. In response, he faithfully shared this grace with others. As we start the book of Romans, we see Paul’s passionate presentation of the good news about Jesus.
Romans 1:1-7 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an
apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the
gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy
Scriptures 3 regarding his
Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was
appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the
dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and
apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes
from faith for his name’s sake. 6 And
you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To
all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul didn’t keep his appreciation to himself but shared it with people he hadn’t even met yet—the Romans! We also benefit from his loving explanations about God’s grace through Jesus Christ. His service to Jesus has impacted the whole world!
What about you? How have you seen God’s grace in bringing you to Him? Where has God called you to serve?
As we fully
appreciate God’s grace in our own lives, we can passionately share His grace
with others, just like Paul. He was so steeped in God’s love that he couldn’t
help but talk about it. I pray we grow in our understanding and appreciation of
God’s love and grace in our own lives, so that it naturally overflows to those
around us.
Alice
