All-Powerful Grace

Every Christian has come to the understanding that we need to be saved. Our sins weighed down on us, and there is one punishment for sinning; eternal death in heal. Some people, through varying circumstances, have come to realize that their sins are/were a heavy burden, and they are the more thankful to Christ for saving them from their deserved judgment.

But modern Christians, though we experience and appreciate grace, have come to devalue grace. Grace may wash away our sins, but we don't fully appreciate the penalty for our sins, or how deep the stain of sin goes. Grace, especially in a modern, western world, often comes cheaply. We might sin, and then feel bad about it, but thanks to our relationship with Christ, we know that ultimately God will forgive us for whatever we have done. Christians tend to fall into one of two traps in our faith: either Christians tend to lean too heavily on keeping the law and therefore become legalistic (which undermines grace) or people lean too heavily on the promise of forgiveness and continue in sin (which undervalues grace). Arthur Pink says, "It is His own sovereign and all-powerful work of grace toward and in those who are entirely destitute of merit, and who are so depraved in themselves that they will not and cannot take one step to the obtaining of salvation! Those who have been actually saved, owe far more to divine grave, than most of them realize."

Grace is not cheap, and it truly does require an all-powerful God to work out grace in our lives. After all, God does not only offer grace for us, but for all of humanity.

Living Life

The Power of Christ's Name

Everything about God is powerful, even His very name. The name of Jesus has had a huge impact on our society. Even from the very beginning, God has declared that His name is sacred, which is why the fourth commandment states that God's name must not be misused, as seen in Deuteronomy 5:11.

By the name of Jesus demons can be cast out, people can be saved, and the sick can be healed. Jesus Himself had power to do these things while here on Earth. But when Jesus ascended back up to heaven, He sent us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can (as deemed appropriate by God) enable us to do the very things that Christ did.

Men and women still claim these abilities today, but the skepticism of the world has divided Christians on what they will believe and what they will accept. Nonetheless, even if modern Christian can't agree on what is and isn't applicable to the church today, we all still have solid proof of the power of Jesus' name as seen in the New Testament. Acts 3:6 is just one example where the power found in the name of Christ heals a man, as described by John MacDuff:

"[A] helpless cripple, at the all-powerful name of "JESUS OF NAZARTEH, cast aside his crutches, rose from his couch of miserable helplessness, with strength in his powerless limb, and praise on his long-sealed lips."

Jesus' all-mighty name brings healing to the helpless. The cripple described in this biblical account was not looking to made whole. He simply wanted some change so that he might find his next meal. Then he encountered the power of Christ, through a simple prayer and the faithfulness of Peter and John.

Living Life

How Much Do Sins Weigh?

Human relations can be exhausting work. Whether it is playing with kids, working in customer service, or counseling people stuck in difficult circumstances, there is a certain amount of stress that comes with dealing with people. Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes even really good people make very, very stupid mistakes.

Through human relations, we learn to carry the burden of others. As we learn to communicate with our hearts, we learn to lift others up and support others in difficult circumstances. While this is possible with a few close people, this objective becomes increasingly more difficult with even just a few more people.

Consider then what Jesus did on the cross. Christ put the entire weight of humanities sins on His back. People estimate that somewhere between 50 billion and 100 billion people have been born on this earth to date. Yet Christ died for each and every one of them. Christ put the weight of the sins of 50billion + people on His shoulders. And Christ will continue to offer that, and more, for those who come after us. This might be a problem for future generations if God was limited in power. Thankfully, our God has unlimited power, love and grace.

J.R. miller states, "God is strong, omnipotent. We need not fear that His power to keep us will ever fail. There never is a moment when He is not able to sustain us. When the question is asked, 'From whence shall my help come?' the answer is, 'My help comes from Jehovah, who made heaven and earth!' He who made all the worlds and keeps them all in being - can surely bear up one little human life and protect it from harm

Living Life