Skip to main content

Gra(v)(c)e

The other day, when I was typing grave into my phone, it autocorrected it to grace. At first I didn't notice. When it caught my attention, I realized the significance of such a subtle change. With the switch of one letter the meaning of the message had completely changed. 

A grave has a certain finality to it, right? It's the "final resting place" for a human being, for a person's body. It even has in stone the dates of your birth and death etched into it. Our way of saying "The End". 

But Jesus overcame the finality of the grave. He changed it from a period at the end of a sentence to a comma. After Jesus died on the cross and was placed in the tomb, I am certain His disciples felt the finality of death. They felt the confusion of losing this man that was changing everything. They felt the weight of the loss of this person. It was over. Period.

From the grave came the ultimate act of grace. Death on a cross turned into salvation for all. I can only imagine the joy the disciples experienced as this transformation occured right before their eyes.  

In Jesus' defeat of death, His grace now reigns supreme. We take on the same death of the grave because of the grace of Jesus Christ.

"'I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!'" - Galatians 2:20-21

The spirit living in us compels us to live a different way. The grave changes everything. The grace that was provided by that death means everything. 

Thank you autocorrect for the reminder that the grave and grace are forever intertwined.

Be blessed and be a blessing
Matt Ennis






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bold Like Stephen

I've always admired people who aren't afraid to be bold in their convictions.  It is the kind of boldness that allows them to stand out in the crowd. There is just something different about how these people view and engage the world around them.  The movie “Hacksaw Ridge” portrays a man that exemplifies what I mean by bold.  He was drafted to serve in World War II but refused to bear arms because of religious reasons. Yet, he still managed to receive the Congressional Medal of honor. Without a weapon in his hand, he saved 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa. Despite his objection to violence, he still served his country. Despite his objection to war he found a way to love his neighbor. He was bold.  When I think of bold in the Bible, I think of Stephen. Acts 6:8 says, "Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people." Stephen faced opposition to his teachings. Those that opposed his teachings couldn't ...

Do the Work

Sometimes I sit down to write and it just seems like I am trying to write with a pen without ink. There is simply nothing productive coming from the activity. Other times, God just pours it out on me. The ideas flow and the message comes together with ease. More often than not it's the former rather than the latter. It seems God likes to make us work for it. The ones I have to work a bit harder on become the ones I like the most. I think we appreciate the things we have to work for more than the things that come easy. Our LifeGroup recently read about the Miraculous Catch of Fish. You know the story where Peter and his buddies have been out fishing all night and came back to shore completely empty handed. That next morning, Jesus asks them to take him out in the boat. Once out on the water, He has them put the nets back down and they bring in loads and loads of fish. So many fish that two boats almost sank.  I guess Jesus could have just made the fish jump into th...

Welcome Children

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to Him, and placed the child among them. And He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." - Matthew 18:1‭-‬5 NIV This past Sunday was simply life-giving at Westside Christian Church. The energy and excitement were palatable. My daughter couldn't wait to get to church. She was excited to worship with her friends and have fun together afterwards.   With the VBS takeover, the church was packed! Sure there were a few seats open, but there was a line of people standing in the back. It is safe to say it was "standing room only". Fitting with the story of Zacchaeus that Pastor Russ shared.   Jes...