grace Archives - Marissa Henley

You are Justified by Faith {No Matter What Monday}

February 18, 2019 by Marissa Leave a Comment

I’m really showing off my geek badge here, but it’s true: I love editing. I can’t read anything without wanting to pull out a red pen, eliminate the word clutter, fix the grammatical mistakes, and improve the writing in any way I can. I even self-edit text messages before sending them. (Don’t worry, I don’t edit other people’s texts!) 😉

When I read Galatians 2:16, I want to reach for my red pen. Paul seems to be running around in circles, saying the same thing over and over:

“Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)

We’re not justified by works but by faith . . . And we have believed, so we are justified . . . Oh, and did I mention that it’s by faith in Christ and not by works? . . . Right, because no one can be justified by the works of the law. Ok, Paul! We get it!

Why isn’t Paul being more concise? Did he forget to run this letter by his editor?

I think Paul is being wordy and repetitive on purpose. He knows we will read this and mentally agree with it, but then an hour later we’ll be out there acting like it’s up to us to earn God’s favor. It’s so ingrained in our human nature to think our value depends on our performance.

This is good news we need to hear over and over and over again: We are justified through faith in Christ and not by works of the law. To be justified means we are declared righteous by God. He looks at Jesus and sees His perfect record of righteousness. Based on His perfection, we are declared righteous. We could never earn this righteousness, but God gives it to us as a free gift of His grace.

If you didn’t earn it, you can’t lose it. Justification by faith is a certainty we can cling to even when we fall short, mess up, or even fail miserably.

No matter what you face this week, you are justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law.

Grace Has Appeared {No Matter What Monday}

December 10, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Do you have days when you wonder if God exists? Even though Christ grabbed hold of me decades ago, even though I’m completely convinced of the truth of His Word, even though I’ve seen evidence of His Spirit at work in me . . . I still doubt. I still struggle to understand the nuances of the Christian faith. Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to believe if I could see God face to face. Wouldn’t it be nice if some of these abstract concepts of our faith were a little more concrete?

Throughout the Old Testament, God gave His people visible, tangible reminders of His presence with them. Noah’s rainbow. The burning bush that didn’t burn up. Manna falling from the sky. The tabernacle. But His people still waited for God’s plan of salvation to be fully revealed.

And then, God sent a visible picture of His love. God the Son became man and walked among us. He was the embodiment of the grace of God.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” (Titus 2:11)

The baby in the manger is the grace of God. The man who fed thousands, healed blind men, raised the dead, and proclaimed God’s Kingdom is the grace of God. The Lamb of God who suffered and died on the cross and rose again—our Savior is the grace of God, a gift given to show God’s people His plan for redeeming the mess of sin.

God’s grace is no longer vague, abstract, or mysterious. We see His grace clearly in the person and life of Jesus. The gift of salvation given to us through a baby in a manger strengthens us to face life’s uncertainties.

No matter what you face this week, in Christ, the grace of God has appeared.

God’s Free Gift of Adoption {No Matter What Monday}

October 15, 2018 by Marissa Leave a Comment

We have the same conversation almost every night at bedtime. I tell my daughter I love her. She says, “I love you more.” And I reply, “That’s not possible. I love you more, and I loved you first.”

I win the Who-Loves-Whom-The-Most battle because I loved my daughter before she even had an awareness that I existed. I know her 9-year-old mind can’t begin to fathom the depth of my love for her. It reminds me of God’s love—a love so deep, so wide, so infinite, so indescribable, beyond the comprehension of His children.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)

God’s Word describes many ways that His free gift of grace changes our lives. As we are united to Christ by faith, we receive all that He earned on our behalf: redemption, forgiveness, eternal life, and more. One of my favorites of all the benefits we receive from Christ is our adoption as sons and daughters of God.

Because of the lavish love of the Father, He united us to His Son, Jesus Christ, and made us His children. The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines adoption as “an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.” That’s amazing news! God brings us into His family and treats us as His children.

If our adoption is an act of God’s free grace, we can’t earn it, and we can’t lose it. He doesn’t love us as His daughters and sons because we’re loveable, because we’re good children, or because we bring something valuable to the relationship. Adoption is one-sided—a Father welcoming a child and giving the child all the privileges and rights that come with being part of the family.

No matter what you face this week, you’ve been adopted by God’s free grace.

God Loved You First {No Matter What Monday}

February 12, 2018 by Marissa 1 Comment

It’s the age-old question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? I’m no philosopher, and I haven’t figured out the answer to that one. But there’s an even more important question that God’s Word answers for us: Which came first, God’s love for us or our love for Him?

The stakes are high with this question. If God’s love for me follows my love for Him, then His love for me depends on my faithfulness. If I stop loving God, He might stop loving me.

But if God loved me first, before I had done anything to earn His love, then I am secure. I am loved no matter how many times I fail Him, forget Him, or falter in my faith.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4–5)

God loved us when we were dead in our sin. Before we ever loved Him, God sent Jesus to die for us (Rom. 5:8, I John 4:10).

God loved us because of His mercy. He made us alive with Christ and saved us by His grace. None of it depended on our love for Him—praise the Lord!

God’s love for us is secure. His love depends on His faithfulness, not ours. His love never fails. His love is guaranteed by His perfection, not our performance.

When you feel unlovable, remember God’s unchanging, unfailing, unstoppable love for you. When you feel overwhelmed by your sin, remember that Christ overcame sin and gave you new life. When you feel like your faith isn’t enough, remember that God loved you even before you believed.

No matter what you face this week, God loved you first, and He will love you forever.