Grace...essential for life

The dictionary defines essential as that which is basic, necessary, or indispensable. Grace is one of those things we cannot live without. Like air, water, food, and rest, we need grace in order to experience life as God intends for us. Relationships, which are the core of life, need grace in order to grow and flourish -- without grace they become empty and meaningless. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love." I believe that these three elements (also essentials) can be summed up in one word - Grace. Faith is the entrance to grace, hope is the enduring promise of grace, and love is full expression and experience of grace. When we live in God's Grace, then we have true freedom. So you can see the importance of understanding grace. So what is grace, anyway? In my early years of learning about God's Word I was taught the grace is 'God's unmerited favor' or using the acrostic of the word grace - God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Grace is that but so much more. The Greek word for grace is charis which means divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in life; including gratitude, acceptance, benefit, favor, gift, joy, liberality, and pleasure. Think about that for a while and we will continue to unfold the mysteries of grace in future posts. Grace and Peace.