Own IT!

You don't own it until you experience it!

Owning Grace

It seems to me that many know about grace, as I once did, without owning it. Grace is hard to define simply because it encompasses such profound truths and actions on the part of a loving Creator. It springs from the very character of God Himself. Too often we say things like “I know God loves me, but….” Is there a place for a “but” in this sentence? Yes, if you do not own grace. I used to fear owning grace because I thought it would lead me to go soft on sin which would lead to apathy. This is because the grace I sought to own was not real grace, only a cheap knock-off. Owning the authentic grace of God will lead to the highest form of living imaginable. Motivation that stems from grace will propel us to new heights of glory. Grace is the scepter extended to Esther by her husband-king, allowing her to come into his presence without fear of harm. Grace is Jesus sitting a little child on his lap and causing everyone around to see this child as a valuable member of His kingdom. Grace elevates. It brings us close. It calms fears. It puts us in a sanctified position where sin cannot dwell. All of this is true, only if you own grace. You might argue that it is not me who owns grace but grace who owns me. I won’t quibble with this.

How is grace experienced? Paul experienced it on a Damascus Road because he was clearly confronted with his gross sin of denial of Jesus. He was more guilty than Peter or Judas. This may have dawned on him later. He considered himself the worst sinner who ever lived. The GOATs of all time are a matter of opinion, but he could experience grace because he knew the experience of sinning with a clear conscience. That is the worst kind of sin. The path to owning grace is to know how much you need it. He who is forgiven little, loves little; he who is forgiven much, loves much. The woman at Jesus’ feet owned grace. Own it and be set free. YOU DON’T OWN IT UNTIL YOU EXPERIENCE IT.