Part 5: Living in Grace Daily
The Journey from Receiving to Living
We’ve learned what grace is, how it differs from justice and mercy, the types of grace God gives, and how to receive it. Now comes the most important part - living in this grace every day and extending it to others.
Living by Faith in Grace
Romans 5:1-2
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
“Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom we also have our access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Notice the phrase “this grace in which we stand.” We don’t visit grace occasionally; we stand in it. We live in it. We remain in it. It’s our permanent address, not a vacation spot.
Living by faith means:
- Trusting God’s grace is sufficient for today’s challenges.
- Believing His strength is perfect in our weakness
- Resting in His finished work, not our efforts
Daily Surrender and Obedience
Titus 2:11-12
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.”
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age.”
Grace is a teacher. It doesn’t just forgive our sins; it teaches us how to live in the right way. Grace gives us both the desire and the power to obey God.
This isn’t obedience as a means to earn grace - that’s impossible. This is obedience because of grace - that’s transformation.
Romans 6:14
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
“For sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.”
Under the law, sin had power over us. Under grace, we have power over sin. Grace doesn’t give us permission to sin; it gives us power not to sin.
Growing Through God’s Word
2 Peter 1:2
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.”
“Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”
Grace multiplies through knowledge of God. The more we know Him through His Word, the more we experience His grace in daily life.
Acts 20:32
“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
“Now, brothers, I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
The Bible builds us up in grace. Every promise we read, every truth we discover, every verse we memorize - all increase our experience of grace.
The Heart of Living in Grace: Our Weakness, His Strength
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
“He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.”
This is the profound secret of living in grace: embracing our weaknesses. Paul says he will “most gladly boast” in his infirmities. Why? Because our weakness showcases God’s strength.
When we admit we’re weak:
- God’s power flows through us.
- His grace becomes visible.
- Others see Christ, not us.
- We stop depending on ourselves.
The Critical Question: Why Do We Judge Others?
If God’s grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and we most gladly boast in our infirmities - then why do we judge others’ shortcomings? Why do we measure them according to our expectations?
Matthew 7:3-5
“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
Jesus calls this hypocrisy. We who live by grace dare to demand perfection from others. We who boast in our weaknesses dare to condemn others for theirs.
The plank in our eye is often our judgmental spirit - far worse than the speck we’re criticizing in others.
The Grace Response: Kindness and Forgiveness
Ephesians 4:32
“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
“And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.”
“Even as God in Christ forgave you” - this is the standard. How did God forgive us?
- Completely
- Freely
- Before we asked
- While we were still sinning
- Without bringing it up again
This is how we must forgive others.
Colossians 3:13
“Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
“Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.”
“Bearing with one another” means tolerating each other’s weaknesses, failures, and annoying habits. Why? Because Christ bears with us.
The Lord’s Prayer Connection
When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we say: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
This is sobering. We ask God to forgive us in the same measure we forgive others. If we refuse to forgive, we’re asking God not to forgive us. If we judge harshly, we’re asking God to judge us harshly.
Matthew 6:14-15
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
This isn’t about earning forgiveness through forgiving others. It’s about living in the grace we’ve received. If we’ve truly experienced God’s grace, we cannot withhold it from others.
The Reverse Path to Grace
Here’s the beautiful conclusion: Accepting and forgiving each other, accepting our weakness along with others’ shortcomings, even in times of need, persecution, and distress - but still bearing one another in love without judging - this actually leads us deeper into God’s grace.
When we extend grace to others:
- We understand God’s grace better.
- We experience more of His grace.
- We create an atmosphere where grace flourishes.
- We demonstrate the Gospel to the world.
Luke 6:37-38
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
“Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free. ‘Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”
Practical Daily Application
Living in grace daily means:
Morning: Wake up remembering His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23)
When you fail: Don’t run from God; run to His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16)
When others fail you: Remember how much God has forgiven you (Matthew 18:21-35)
When you’re weak: Rejoice that His strength can now flow through you (2 Corinthians 12:9)
When you’re tempted to judge: Remember the plank in your own eye (Matthew 7:3-5)
When someone needs help: Be a channel of God’s grace to them (1 Peter 4:10)
Evening: Thank God for the grace that sustained you through the day
The Testimony of Grace
1 Corinthians 15:10
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
“But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
Paul’s testimony should be ours: Everything good in us is God’s grace. Every achievement, every victory, every moment of strength - it’s all grace.
The Ultimate Goal
2 Peter 3:18
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”
We never graduate from grace. We grow in it. Every day, we can experience more grace, understand more grace, and extend more grace.
The Full Circle
We began this series by learning that grace is God’s unmerited favor—a gift we don’t deserve. We end by understanding that when we live in this grace and extend it to others, we create a continuous circle of grace:
- God gives us grace we don’t deserve.
- We extend grace to others who don’t deserve it.
- This deepens our experience of God’s grace.
- This enables us to give even more grace to others
- Which opens us to receive even more of God’s grace
The conclusion is powerful: God’s grace is sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. When we accept this truth—embracing our own weaknesses and accepting others with theirs—we stop judging and start loving. We stop condemning and start forgiving. We stop demanding perfection and start extending grace.
This is living in grace daily. This is the Christian life. This is the Gospel in action.
Prayer
Gracious and Merciful Father,
We come to the end of this journey through grace, but we know it’s really just the beginning. Your grace is new every morning, available every moment, sufficient for every need.
Lord, Your Word says Your grace is sufficient and Your strength is made perfect in our weakness. Help us to truly believe this. Help us to boast in our weaknesses, knowing they showcase Your strength.
Forgive us, Father, for the times we’ve received Your grace but refused to extend it to others. Forgive us for judging others’ specks while ignoring our planks. Forgive us for demanding from others what we could never give - perfection.
Teach us to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as You forgave us. Help us to bear with one another in love, remembering how much You bear with us.
Lord, as we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” make those words a reality in our lives. May our forgiveness of others flow from Your forgiveness of us.
Help us to create circles of grace wherever we go - accepting others’ weaknesses, forgiving their failures, bearing their burdens, and loving without judgment. May this lead us and them deeper into Your amazing grace.
Transform us into people who live in grace daily - not just receiving it for ourselves, but becoming channels of grace to everyone we meet. When people see us, may they see Your grace in action.
Thank You that Your grace never runs out. Thank You that it’s sufficient for every situation. Thank You that when we are weak, You are strong.
Help us to stand firm in this grace, to grow in this grace, and to overflow with this grace until that day when Your glorifying grace completes Your work in us.
We love You, Lord. We need You. We trust You. And we rest in Your sufficient grace.
In the precious name of Jesus, who is full of grace and truth, Amen.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9
Remember: Living in grace isn’t about being perfect. It’s about admitting we’re not perfect and resting in the One who is. When we embrace our weakness and extend grace to others in theirs, we discover the transforming power of God’s amazing grace.