by LeighAnne Martin
I love music, and I always have. In both my mountain and valley seasons, it is chords and choruses that center me on the constant goodness of God.
I recently discovered the song “Good Grace” by Hillsong UNITED and Joel Houston, and it is my Lenten anthem this year. The song is a hopeful reminder to God’s people that our redemption and salvation are in Jesus’ blood, all because our God is so madly in love with us.
As United Methodists, we love us some good grace. Lent—leading us to Easter—is a beautiful season to reflect upon the awesomeness of God’s good grace. His prevenient grace pursues us, both before we know Him and later when we know Him and still choose to rebel against Him. God’s justifying grace—granted to us through Jesus’s sacrifice upon the cross—forgives all of our sins, and His sanctifying grace allows us, the rebellious sinners we are, to grow in our ability to live and love like Jesus.
The Scriptures continuously remind us of God’s good grace, the gift we don’t deserve yet which He so freely gives:
“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.” – Titus 2:11
“Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” – Romans 3:24
“He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.” – 2 Timothy 1:9
As we walk one step closer to the cross this Lenten season, consider God’s good grace in your life, reflecting on:
How are you living into God’s justifying grace? Which parts of your life reflect how you are learning to live and love like Jesus?
Where is God still pursuing you with His prevenient grace? Are there parts of your life or your heart you haven’t yet released to God?
To quote the song:
“All creation,
Everything with breath repeat the sound… His name is Jesus.
Jesus.
Our redemption,
Our salvation,
Is in His blood.”
Good Friday is coming. Jesus will hang on a cross because oh, He loves us so. Jesus will be beaten and He will bleed because oh, He loves us so. Sanctifying grace will flow over us because oh, how He loves us so.
Dear Father God,
Thank you for your good grace. Thank you for loving us, even when we don’t deserve it. Thank you for Jesus, and thank you for the cross. Help us to remember and fully experience your good grace as we move through our days, journeying towards the cross and towards Easter.
Amen.
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