What is it to live by grace? Or we could say what is it to live upon grace? It is simply to live absolutely and completely on the merit of Christ. The late A.W. Pink said, “The great mistake made by most of the Lord’s people is in hoping to discover in themselves that which is to be found in Christ alone.” It may have been more scriptural to say, “What is it to live by faith?” But we live by faith only through grace; faith being a grace of God. Here is what I mean; according to Romans five we have through Christ, access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. This access comes to us solely on the merit of Christ; therefore as we live we live on that merit. For example, you need strength? Look to Christ, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me, says Paul in Philippians chapter four, verse thirteen. You need stability? Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever, Hebrews chapter thirteen, verse eight. You need wisdom? Look to Christ, Christ the power of God, and the WISDOM of God, I Corinthians one, verse twenty-four. You need approval before God? Look to Christ, He hath made us accepted in the beloved, Ephesians one, verse six. You need status and standing with God? Look to Christ, we are freely and fully justified in Him, Romans three, verse twenty-four. Ah, dear readers, there is more, much, much more, and it is all in Him, for you who believe; and to be received for the sake of His merit, not for your worthiness, Christ is all and in all. His all is ours who believe and to be gained by grace through faith. God is no debtor to sinners. Don’t miss the gift while waiting for the debt collector. Let me conclude by sharing a little story I read… “A minister called upon a poor woman, intending to give her help for he knew that she was very poor. With his money in his hand, he knocked at the door; but she did not answer. He concluded she was not at home, and went his way. Later he met her at the church, and told her that he had remembered her need; ‘I called at your house and knocked several times, and I suppose you were not at home, for I had no answer.’ ‘At what hour did you call, sir?’ ‘It was about noon.’ ‘Oh, dear,’ she said, ‘I heard you, sir, and I am so sorry I did not answer; but I thought it was the man calling for the rent.’ And as the story goes, it is my desire to be heard. Therefore I want to say that I am not calling for the rent; indeed, it is not the object of this preacher to ask anything of you, but to tell you that salvation is ALL OF GRACE, which means that salvation has already been paid for.
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