| Grace - article by Joel Hempel There’s grace, and then there is God’s grace! There’s what Marcia had on the dance floor, and I did not have. There is also a polite and pleasant way of behaving that we recognize as grace. When someone is understanding and forgiving, we identify it as grace. Then, there is God’s grace. It’s all about relationship! God asked an undeserving man to trust him. And when that man did, God gave him what he needed most and deserved the least – friendship with God.1 What God did for Abraham, he does and continues to do for us. He relates. He befriends. It started with Abraham, was completed with Jesus, and finds its fullness in us.
Why did God choose Abraham? For no good reason, at least not one that is revealed. Why did God choose you? Good question! We don’t know. He just did. That’s grace. Like Abraham, you have received the gift of faith. You and I believe and trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior. He is our peace for the present, and our hope for eternity. The more I study God’s Word, and I’ve been doing so since Catechism class, 2, the more excited I become thinking about God’s grace. In retrospect, I now know God’s grace is predictable. You may have noticed the same thing. As one of his chosen ones, God won’t let you fall away. Oh, he will let you choose stupidity. He will let you exercise your right to make foolish decisions. But his grip will not release us. That’s the definition of biblical abundance.3 God will not give up the relationship. He did not give up on any of the all-too-human heroes and heroines of Scripture.4 There’s no way he’s giving up on you - as undeserving as you and I are! Grace. It truly is amazing.
If only young Christians could realize sooner rather than later the indestructible relationship we have with God. If only we could see early on the depth and breadth of grace born out of God’s love. We would be smarter sooner. And realizing we have received grace upon grace, we would become generous with grace. Now I am even less fluid on my feet. Peripheral neuropathy and balance issues have stopped the dancing. But God’s grace, or at least my awareness and appreciation of it, has grown. I imagine something similar is true for you. Spiritually, you and I now move much more gracefully than when we thought we were cool and in charge of life. 1. The Grace of God, Andy Stanley, page 30. 2. I was one of those weird kids who liked studying Luther’s Small Catechism. 3. John 10:10 4. Hebrews 11 | 
