Romans 5:1-2 NIV
[1] “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, [2] through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”
When I was much younger, I bumped into this Scripture and it began to take hold of me. We stand in grace! “Standing” implies that my feet are both firmly planted on something that will not move or shake. To stand in grace means that wherever I am, whatever I am doing, my feet, my life, are/is firm and secure on God’s grace.
I think that grace is also underfoot like the “red carpet” put out for royalty to walk on at an auspicious occasion. A red carpet signifies the honour expressed towards a person of status and position.
Just like royalty, God has rolled out the “red carpet” of grace and favour for everyone of His blood-bought children to walk on, every moment of every day. Grace is not an occasional provision in times of crisis or need. Grace is not a booster injection to energise us when we run out of steam.
Grace is the atmosphere of God, the environment of His throne room. Grace is the adornment of His dwelling, His red carpet of favour on which we “walk” with Him in faith and love, that exudes from His very being for all His sons and daughters.
Grace surrounds us with the shield of God’s favour.
Psalms 5:12 NIV
[12]” Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”
The condition for God’s favour is righteousness…the righteousness the Lord Himself provides, to cover and remove the filth and stench of our own self-righteousness.
Isaiah 64:6 NIV
[6]”All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
God Himself intervened to change our status.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV
[21] “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Squeaky clean and free from guilt and condemnation! Just as the first man Adam was, the man God fashioned in Eden to be like Him!
Like the tender care a mother gives to her newborn infant, the Father swaddles us in His grace, cuddling us to His heart and tenderly guarding us from harm. He provides everything we need to grow strong and robust in our faith in Him, even in those times in life when we need the grace of discipline to keep us safe and secure within the boundaries of His kingdom.
We can easily stray off the red carpet if and when we forget that we can do nothing of ourselves. How foolish we are when we forgo favour for self-effort, when we take the credit for what grace has done!
Anything we do or say that is not of the Holy Spirit in us dislodges us from grace, making us responsible and accountable to God for our words and deeds.
Grace cannot change the wrong we have done but grace forgives the repentant heart and restores us to our place on the red carpet. Grace even weaves our foolishness into something good.
So, in the awareness of this marvellous grace, let’s keep a firm footing on the red carpet. Lets’ keep revelling in the promise that we will share in the perfection of Jesus’ nature, His glory, only because of the grace that holds us strong onad firm on our journey. Let’s maintain the attitude that keeps grace firmly in place, always thankful and always praising God for the richness of His grace.