When you are used to fighting to exist, it is easy to be blind-sighted. When times are the most difficult, we try to find a place in ourselves that will give us the strength we need to overcome our circumstances. Our strength may well be our greatest weakness. It might be keeping us from making an exchange and resting in the one who has already gone before us and won the battle.
There are times that we hear sermons about God’s grace given to us through Christ Jesus. We listen to sermons defining grace as God freely granting to us His unmerited favor. Through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus man secured eternal salvation. However, grace is so much more. Strong’s Greek Lexicon defines grace as the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.
God is always operating in our lives to bring us to His expected end (Jeremiah 29:11). How is this done? Grace grants us mercy (Hebrews 4:16). In addition, grace positionally allows us to sit with Christ above the chatter and the conditions of our old life (Colossians 3:1 – 3:25). It is a gateway to peace (Romans 5:1 – 5:21) and love (1 John 4:19), a door of freedom that can only know through salvation. It is by grace that we become sons of God (John 1:12). God has given us grace through the redemption granted through salvation that we might live His abundant life.
Remove the boxing gloves and enter His rest. It is time to accept all that grace has contributed to you. It is time to make an exchange. His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV). Today, make an exchange. Therefore, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might and be strengthened by the grace given in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1 KJV).
Reference
G5485 – charis – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5485/kjv/tr/0-1/