If we are ever going to grow as God's men, grace is a notion we absolutely must wrap our arms around. There have been many definitions of grace (my favorite--God's Riches at Christ's Expense) but in practical terms for us, grace is a gift that is given willingly for which there is nothing expected in return.
God didn't allow Jesus to die on the cross so that we would have to earn our way into heaven. The notion of allowing my child to die to save someone else is beyond what I can grasp, but allowing it if it wasn't absolutely necessary in completely unfathomable. Grace takes performance on our part out of the equation; replacing it with faith and trust in Christ alone. Grace is our Heavenly Father saying to us: "I love you and spending eternity apart from you is the absolute last thing I want to have happen." He made a sacrifice that is truly beyond our capability and understanding.
Scripture reminds us that it is by God's grace that we are saved, not by any of our own works (Ephesians 2:8); removing any notion of self-reliance. God's grace is sufficient for any need we face (2 Corinthians 12:9), it is available to all just by asking (Romans 5:15), it gifts us to accomplish his purpose and plan (Ephesians 3:7) and allows us to meet the needs of others (1 Peter 4:10). What more reason do we need to allow grace to permeate everything we think, say or do?
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