“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32 NIV84)

Grace, as we know, is used to describe God’s unilateral and unconditional love for us.  He loves humanity because of His nature, not ours.  He loves us no matter what.  This very day, there is nothing that you or I can do to make God love us any more, or less, than He does right now.  We are created, redeemed, transformed and heavenbound because of God’s grace.  Theologians used the phrase “Sola Gratia” (Grace Alone) as a way to express the central nature of God’s grace to our Christian faith.  It is with this as a backdrop that Paul says his farewells to a group of Christians he had grown to love himself.  He is certain that he will never see them again, so he commits them to God and to “the word of His grace.”  Paul is saying “if you remember anything about me and my ministry, may it be that you experienced God’s grace in it.”

There are a lot of truths to be understood in God’s Word.  There are multitudes of truths to digest and apply to our ever-transforming lives.  But take it from Paul and the preachers, teachers, and theologians who followed him: it’s all about Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)!  We must come to understand that the other truths of God’s Word are better understood in the spirit of grace.  Grace must permeate every facet of our Christian faith and life.  When grace is not central to our faith and life, we will quickly develop a legalistic system of earning God’s favor through our works.  Paul says, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith.  This is not of yourself, but it is a gift from God.  It is not by works, so that no man can boast.”  (Eph. 2:8-9)  It was, is, and always will be about God’s grace!

May we commit ourselves and one another to the God of all grace!

Peace!

Pastor Tom

www.firmlyrooted.church