This is Grace

1 Peter 5:5-10

We must always learn what God is to us, not by our own thoughts, but by what He has revealed Himself to be.

We fail and we sin and the Lord knew the full extent of our failure and sin. He knew man in his natural state of sin and what its hatefulness was, and yet He came to us (Rom. 5:6-10).

Faith, absolute dependence on Christ, makes us see that God is greater than our sin and that our sin is not greater than God. The secret of growth is seeing Him who is gracious, seeing the exercise of His love for you and me, our strength. (2 Tim. 2:1).

Our need for Him, something too difficult for us to overcome, is that very thing we are to bring to Him. It is that which would cause us to exercise and become strong by depending on the grace that is in Him, the grace that is specifically designed for our need. The dependence and grace that is needed against temptation, and not by our own useless efforts, which are never sufficient. He wants us to come just as we are, not with self-effort to change, but in humility to enter into His presence.

Humility (tapeinoo), which calls for the subjection which means putting one's whole trust in the grace of God who cares for those who humble themselves before Him. Faith (absolute dependence on Christ) never makes self the place of rest. We are to be occupied with Him, and forget about self.

When we get away from Him, His presence, our own thoughts begin to work, thoughts that are far below His thoughts. His grace has no limits, no bounds. What He is towards us in grace is love. Our joy and peace are not based on what we are to Him, but on what He is to us---this is grace.