Grace

Some years past, Sound of Grace carried an article by John G. Reisinger entitled Grace. This article now expanded into this book profoundly affected the way I viewed grace and indeed God s work in the salvation and sanctification of sinners such as me. No longer restricted in my understanding by the traditional definition, I came to see that grace has more than one aspect; indeed, it has many facets. First, I came to appreciate much more fully and deeply just how free (no merit on the part of rebellious sinners) grace as given by the sovereign God truly is. I also realized just how much this grace cost God in the giving of his beloved Son. This was, and is, a truly rich, glorious, marvelous, amazing grace! Perhaps the aspect of grace that had its most profound impact on my thinking was Pastor John s explanation of grace as a spiritual power that flows from God into a sinner and effects genuine change in the heart of that sinner. For the first time, I came to rely on God s grace (enabling power) in my daily walk, as I desired to grow in Christ and to be like him in thought, word, and deed. I could see the futility of striving to maintain a relationship with Christ through the outward influences of lists of dos and don ts, even those that are good and right. I came to appreciate, love, and adore Jesus Christ, who is my righteousness and sanctification and redemption (cf. 1 Cor. 1:30). Further, I came to see the absolute necessity of the entire council of God as revealed in the entirety of Scripture, especially the words of Christ and the writings of his disciples, as my rule of faith and conduct. Jacob Moseley