Grace

For those of you who have attended church at some point, you will have no doubt have heard the word grace being used quite frequently, but do you know what grace is?

Here’s the definition I found in the dictionary of the word grace:

1. Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion.
2. A characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement.
3. A sense of fitness or propriety.
4. A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill.
5. Mercy; clemency.
6. A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence.
7. A temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve.
8. Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people.
9. The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God.
10. An excellence or power granted by God.
11. A short prayer of blessing or thanksgiving said before or after a meal.
12.  Grace Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for a duke, duchess, or archbishop.
13. In music it’s an appoggiatura, trill, or other musical ornament in the music of 16th and 17th century England.

As you can see there are a number of varying definitions of the word grace. However I want to concentrate on those that relate to faith only (i.e.those highlighted above – 8, 9, 10 and 11).

So do you feel you are protected and sanctified by God?

God has promised us His grace forever, so we must use the grace to make us into the person God wants us to be.

1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

If you don’t feel you are protected by God, maybe it’s time to seek God’s grace…Please listen and take strength and encouragement from the following song by the International Staff Songsters of The Salvation Army, entitled Your Grace I Seek: