2 Peter 3:18 (CSB)
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.
Think about a monumental building standing against the howling winds and raging storms of time. This building is held up by pillars that are unyielding, immovable, and indispensable. In the construction of our Christian faith, God's grace is not just an aesthetic addition; it is the most important aspect of the structure. God's grace is one of the primary pillars in our relationship with God that bears most of the weight—not just something that is decorative but something indispensable. As we draw near the structure of grace, we find our protection, our position, and our purpose. Let's walk through these halls together and examine the pillars that uphold the structure of grace.
1. Grace is God's Undeserved Favor Toward Us
Titus 3:4-5 (CSB): "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us— not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy— through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
You don't have to be good to receive God's grace. If you had to do something in order to receive God's grace, then it would not be grace. God's grace is not something you can ever earn; it’s given to you despite all your flaws and failures.
It's like finding a ticket in your hand to the greatest event you could never afford, handed to you simply because the giver delights in your presence. God's grace isn't cheap; it's costly, bought at the highest price that we could never afford. We don't stand a chance of cleansing ourselves of our own sins, but God, in His grace, has poured out His blood to regenerate and renew us completely.
2. Grace is the Means of Our Empowerment for Kingdom Living
2 Corinthians 12:9 (CSB): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.' Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me."
This is where it gets real—grace isn’t just a get-out-of-jail-free card. It is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that gives you the will and desire to follow Jesus through this fractured world. With every step you take, its transforming you into the very image of Christ. Giving you the ability to seek first the Kingdom of God with all that you do.
When you're feeling weak, inadequate, or facing insurmountable challenges, God's grace comes in like a rushing wind, equipping you to endure and overcome. It's not in your abilities, but rather in your shortcomings, that God's grace shines brightest. For it’s in your weakness that His power is made perfect.
3. Grace Leads Us to True Freedom in Christ
Romans 6:14 (CSB): "For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace."
God's grace does much more than just forgive you of your sins, it liberates you from the dominion power of sin and its authority over your life. Before you received God's grace, you had no choice but to live under sin’s rule. But now that you're positioned in Christ Jesus, you're no longer under sin’s authority but under the authority of King Jesus.
Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus has destroyed the power of sin. In the Kingdom of God, sin does not have any authority. One of the most wonderful aspects of Kingdom living is freedom from sin, this world's corruption. Through your position and identity in Christ, you are a child of the King, no longer a slave to sin, this world, or its evil ruler.
These pillars of grace stand firm. They are the unshakeable truths that hold us when we are too weak to stand. As children of the King, we must lean on these truths, reminding ourselves of them in moments of doubt and proclaiming them in times of confidence. We are undeserving of grace, we are empowered by grace, and we are set free by grace. We must make these truths the pillars of our assurance in Kingdom living.