Game Changers: Grace

This is part 5 of our Game Changers series:

Part 1: "Purity"

Part 2: "Patience"

Part 3: "Self-Control"

Part 4: "Diligence"

What is a game changer? A game changer is an athlete or play that suddenly changes the outcome of a game or contest, or a person or thing that dramatically changes the course, strategy, character, etc., of something. Spiritually, grace — the unmerited favor of God — is a game changer. Grace must never be minimized; it must always be deeply appreciated. With grace, we see the goodness and love of God.

Rom. 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That is why God sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, to die on the cross and pay the price for my sin and your sin — to fix what was broken. Jesus came to take our place. He paid a debt we could never pay. On that cross, that should have been me. I’m the guilty one. But God doesn’t want to give us what we deserve (II Pet. 3:9). He wants to give us grace.

Why? God wants us. He wants to talk to us. He wants to walk with us. He wants to do life with us. God is a God of fellowship. And from the very beginning (Gen. 3:8; Lev. 26:11-12), God has always wanted to walk with His people (II Cor. 6:16). The grace of God is greater and stronger than all our sins. The sacrifice of Jesus was powerful enough to cover and erase all our sins. I can’t do that for myself. Only the blood of Jesus can (Rom. 5:18-21). Because of that, grace should cause us to run to Him. It should be our life passion to worship Him.

Grace is connected to faithful living. What kind of faith is it? It’s a saving faith (Rom. 4:16-21). You can’t do anything in faith unless you first believe — trust that God can save you. But are you willing to give substance to that belief by doing the things for God? Abraham did (James 2:17-23). Abraham had living faith.

Grace is disconnected from sinful living. Grace is not a license to sin. It’s not an excuse to sin. It’s not a justification for sin. We can cheapen God’s grace: “I know what I’m getting ready to do is wrong, but I’m going to do it anyway because God will forgive me.” You’re forgetting the price Jesus paid (Rom. 6:1-7). Jesus’ death is to become our death. We become dead to sin. Grace draws us to God and makes us want to serve Him (v. 11).

God is in the business of taking broken things and putting them back together again. God sees something beautiful in you. He sees something amazing in you. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.