This post is Day 9 in a series of studies about “A Living Sacrifice”, I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today (the form is at the bottom of the page).

A Living Sacrifice – Day 9

Does Grace in this verse suggest that God gives us good manners? Or that He Himself always behaved well? Jesus was very ungracious to the Pharisees, and overturned the tables of those who used the house of God for their own purposes. There must be more to it than that!

Romans 12:6

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

The Thought

The grace of God would be a good subject to study so before we look in more detail at the gifts given to us by The Lord, we will just think today about the meaning of Grace.

Grace is a word used much in Christian circles, but what does it really mean? One teacher in Bible school told us that it was God giving us more than we deserve. He certainly does that.

According to one dictionary, grace means courtesy, politeness or good manners. Does that suggest that God gives us good manners? Or that He Himself always behaved well? Jesus certainly didn’t! He was very ungracious to the Pharisees (Matthew 3:7), and overturned the tables of those who used God’s house for their own purposes (Matthew 21:12). There must be more to it than that!

Luke 2:40 tells us that “The grace of God” was on Jesus from His birth.

Jesus was certainly not always well mannered. But He was compassionate to the underdog.

The Greek word for “Grace” is “charis” from which we get our word “Charismatic”, generally used in Christian circles for things related to Holy Spirit. In the verse for today we are told that each of us has received something because of God’s grace. It is our responsibility to use the gifts He has given for the good of the whole community. There is no room for shyness or reticence.

Action

Pray for your christian community, that the gifts of each one would be recognised by the leaders, and used for the common good.

Praise God for the gifts He has given you and pray for the grace to use them outside the church as well as in your Christian community.

Pray for the traditional churches in your area (maybe your church is one of them), that the pastors and priests in charge would recognise and know how to encourage gifts among their congregations.