Have you met Grace?

Today I am guest posting for my friend Ed Underwood, over at his place, edunderwood.com. Ed has an amazing testimony, and is living from that in a wide open way that is awe inspiring. You can’t read his words and not come away soaking wet in Grace and Jesus. After you read my post there, subscribe to his blog so you don’t miss any of his journey, and be on the lookout for his upcoming book The Trail, releasing August 1st.

///

It goes without saying that life can be very difficult at times. This is certainly true when it is navigated without the anchoring, comforting, Life-giving Presence of Jesus.

We just can’t do this in our own strength.

But, I have also experienced, and seen in the lives of many others, that even with Jesus (that is, those professing a faith in Christ), life can remain disturbingly and chronically… hard.

We are supposed to be Free, and living in the Freedom that Christ came to give us. But so often this Freedom seems out of reach. Hard to find. On the occasion it is found, it is seldom remained in. Freedom can be easily fleeting.

You may be, as I’ve been, somewhat overwhelmed with it all. Perhaps it all feels a little bit out of your reach?

I understand. Take a deep breath; I’ve got good news… There’s Grace for that.

The truth is, it is out of your reach. Kind of. You see, Christ is the fullness of Grace. He is Grace personified. If you have Him, you have Him because in the Grace of God, He was given, and you received Him in faith. You could not go get Jesus, Grace, on your own. He’s out of your reach. But you received Him, by Grace, through faith.

God gives Grace, as unmerited favor and mercy – as a free gift. Christ is Grace, as the power of God – and He lives inside of you.

Grace as Divine power is, by definition, that which you cannot do on your own. It’s outside of your reach. So how do you obtain it? You probably guessed…

[ Go read the rest of the post here ]