By "the grace of God" is sometimes to be understood that free love,
that unmerited mercy, by which I, a sinner, through the merits of Christ am now reconciled to God. But in this place it rather means that power of
God the Holy Ghost which "worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure." As soon as ever the grace of God (in the former sense, his pardoning love) is manifested to our souls, the grace of God (the latter sense, the power of his Spirit) takes place therein. And now we can perform, through God, what to (humanity) was impossible. -- John Wesley
Wesley was convinced that the Christian life did not have to remain a life of continual struggle. He believed that both Scripture and Christian tradition attested that God's loving grace can transform our lives to the point where our own love for God and others becomes a "natural" response. Christians can aspire to take on the disposition of Christ, and live out that disposition within the constraints of our human infirmities. To deny this possibility would be to deny the sufficiency of God's empowering grace -- to make the power of sin greater than that of grace. -- Stephen W. Rankin, Aiming at Maturity: The Goal of the Christian Life
Prayer: God of Grace, open my spirit to your Holy Spirit, that my heart and mind may be redeemed and transformed by your Son, my Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen
Love |
Generosity |
Justice |
Apprenticeship |
