Rest in Grace

Romans 4:16-17

¹⁶ For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace, so that it may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (who is the father of all of us, ¹⁷ as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”), in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

My middle name given at birth was Grace. I always liked it although when I was a kid it felt like a name of a different generation. Most of my friends were Jennifer and Katie and my name felt a bit of a different time. That has since changed and there are many more younger ones that share this name. When I was child, I didn’t put much thought into the significance of what my name meant but it was the sound of the word that most resonated with me. As I have gotten older and developed in my faith, I cherish more and more my middle name and the concept of grace.

Grace is defined as unmerited love of God. In other words, there is nothing that we have to do to earn God’s love and we don’t even have to ask for it. God’s love is there for us no matter where we go and what we do. This is grace. It is perhaps one of the most amazing concepts and gifts from God. Paul, in this letter to the Romans, writes about how we can “rest on grace.” This is another gift that comes through grace. Because it is not earned, we can truly rest in the comfort of knowing that God loves us no matter what we do. We could spend our whole lives scrambling and scrapping hoping to be part of God’s loving arms but instead we can truly rest knowing that there is nothing we can do or have done to be part of God. We are loved through the unmerited grace of God. Thanks be to God.

Prayer

God of Grace, thank you for your grace and the reminder that there is nothing that we need to do to earn your love. You love us completely without our thoughts, words, or deeds. And we are grateful for the rest and comfort from knowing you grace abounds. In Jesus Name, Amen.