Ephesians 2:8-10 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”  NKJV

All of my Christian experience, I have declared that it is not Justice that I desire but Mercy and Grace!  I know what justice would bring me.  Therefore, I seek pardon and redemption.  I know that I could never earn the Grace of God.  I could never earn God’s pardon for sin. 

I am a flawed vessel and fall too short of the mark.  I have been a “mark misser” – A Sinner needing a Savior.  Through His Grace, I have been Redeemed and transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light!  I have become a New Creation and am no longer under the dominion of the devil but a Child of the Most High God through the Blood of Jesus Christ and His marvelous Amazing Grace!

I never go through a Christmas season without thinking about the Greatest Gift that has ever been given – The Gift of Grace through Jesus Christ!  When I came under conviction and knew I was Lost, I felt utterly hopeless.  I was a Sinner and knew it, but I became convinced that I had sinned away my day of grace, which is utter despair. 

Finally, through God’s great Love, Mercy, and Grace and the persistent prayers and demonstrations of love from a few incredible people in Westside Assembly of God in Palestine, Texas, God opened my heart and my eyes so that I could see that all was not hopeless and that He would forgive me.  That was the most incredible experience I have ever had, and I felt a weight lift from my shoulders as I wept at the kitchen table shortly after midnight back in the late 60s, reading Proverbs 3:5-6.

My transformation was more than a little dramatic.  I smoked, cussed, drank, caroused around, and was downright mean at times.  I woke up the next morning and went to work as usual.  About mid-morning that I realized I had not lit a cigarette since getting up.  I reached into my pocket, pulled one out, lit up, and it made me sick. 

I did not ask to be free of that habit, but God did it for me anyway, and I am still thankful for that.  He cleaned up my language, and at the end of the day, I realized, as did my co-workers, that I had not used one word of profanity.  Several of them came to me and asked me what was wrong.  Imagine that! 

Because I was not using profanity, they thought something was wrong instead of thinking something was right!  I stopped being promiscuous and developed an intense hunger for God, His Word, and the opportunity to talk to anyone about the things of God and hear about God and his plan for man. 

Over the next thirty days, I would stay up until 2-3 in the morning reading the Bible and read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  In that time frame while getting up for work at 6 A.M. without feeling the least bit tired.  I was happy for the first time in years and had a peace that Vietnam had destroyed.  My nightmares stopped, and the flashbacks no longer haunted me.  Oh, I had them from time to time through the years, but when they came, I would immediately turn to the Lord, and He would intervene, bringing me His Perfect Peace again.

Grace – God’s Amazing Grace- transformed my life, and I am so thankful for that Grace!  Always know that God’s Grace is Free to “whosoever will call.”  If you do not know Him today, I urge you to call upon the Name of the Lord, and I believe He will respond to your plea.

May God be with you as you go through your day!