D.L. Moody once took up the study of different words in the Bible. He would look up all references to the word and learn all he could on that particular subject.
One of the words he studied was "grace," and as he looked up reference after reference he marveled at the rich, abounding grace of God to lost sinners. The glorious truth was so exciting to him that he rushed out into the street and stopped the first man he met, asking, "Do you know anything about grace?"
"Grace who?" was the astonished response.
"The grace of God that bringeth salvation!" exclaimed Mr. Moody.
Today we would echo Mr. Moody's question:
"Do you know anything about grace?"
"Well," you say, "I believe God is good, in fact too good and kind to ever punish sinners in hell for all eternity. Isn't this what grace means?"
If this is your idea of God's grace, you do not really know the grace of God at all. God, "who is rich in mercy, " is also "of purer eyes than to behold iniquity." Never can He lower His righteous standard to let one sinner enter heaven unsaved.
But what God in righteousness could not do, God in grace found a way to do, for "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). We also read in 1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15), "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
With a heart full of love and compassion, the Christ of God came into this scene to make a way of salvation for the guilty. In love He endured "the contradiction of sinners against Himself" during His short life on earth. In love He bore the sorrow of Gethsemane, when His sweat was as it were "great drops of blood falling down to the ground." In love He endured the mock trial before Pilate, the shameful spitting and scourging, the cruel crown of thorns. In love He went to Calvary's cross and laid down His life for sinners, for you and for me.
It was all for us! In love to us Christ Jesus "made His soul an offering for sin." Oh, from the depth of your soul believe that He bore your sins in His own body on the cross, and let this wonderful grace of God bring salvation even to you.
"Saved by grace alone, this is all my plea—
Jesus died for all mankind, and Jesus died for me."