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by God's grace

Have you ever thought you don't deserve the grace of God?  Maybe you are like me and have thought that about someone else.  What I have seen and found to be true is that God is always willing to love us and help us.

In the story of Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden this is seen spelled out in a big way:

Genesis 2:6-7,21 NASB
6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings...
21The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

Sin kills.  That first sin in the Garden of Eden allowed them to see that they were naked.  It was their decision, and when they sinned, they did everything they could in their power to cover their sin.  Don't we do that?  We try to look good to others and even justify our poor choices to ourselves.  It happens.

Yet God, in His grace, covered Adam and Eve in a much better way.  They sewed fig leaves together.  God gave them animal skins.  Which will last longer?  What God gave them cost a sacrifice of an animal and will last much longer.

The same is true with our relationship with God.  We are hopeless without God.  He covers our sin totally and forgives us.  On our own, we are in trouble.  By God's grace we have received healing and forgiveness and love and strength, and God will keep on giving those things as we turn to Him.  It is all by God's grace.

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.

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