“God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.” Have you ever heard this acronym for the word “grace”? The near misses in my life—the times I was prevented from getting what I deserved—remind me of this incomparable truth. There were many second chances I received through no effort of my own. I recall times when I made foolish decisions in my youth that easily could have led to lifetime disaster. I have always linked these many “safe landings” to God’s answers to the dedicated prayers of my Christian parents.
Now think about grace in these terms: On the cross, Jesus voluntarily and selflessly stood in your place before a Holy God. He absorbed God’s wrath, destroying the hostile barrier between you and Him. He established lasting peace, breathed eternal life into you, and secured your privilege to approach the throne of grace with confidence.
This kind of grace is hard to wrap our thinking around. By His sheer grace we have been preserved not only in this life, but also we are assured the safest landing ever in the life to come.