One of the simplest meanings of grace I’ve heard over the years is this: the act of receiving what you don’t deserve. And in the case of salvation, it is a gift from God we simply do not deserve.

If one is looking for supporting information to back up the case of why mankind does not deserve this gift from God, they need not look any further than Romans 3. From verse 10-18, the godless nature of mankind is clearly laid out for all to read. Truly there is not one person who can escape the description of this depraved sinful state. And as our focal verse says clearly in verse 23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

All. You. Me. And as we recognize our personal state of sin, we gratefully and humbly run with joy to the grace that is extended to us by our Father through Jesus Christ. We wear His righteousness that is offered to us not because of anything we have done, BUT because of what Jesus has done for us. I’ll say it again: we simply don’t deserve it, especially since we will repeatedly fall short. But He still offers us His gift of grace (Romans 5:8).

Yet we live at times forgetting that we are in that ‘ALL who have sinned and fall short’ category along with everyone else. We walk as if we have been self-righteously cloaked and not ones who have been redeemed by the blood of the One whose righteousness we wear. In what way do we live like this? When do we walk as one who forgets that they are saved by grace and not of anything of our own making?

When we choose to retaliate when our work colleagues wound us with their words. When we turn our back on the neighbor who was unwelcoming when we moved in. When we are ready to write off those we try to minister to, when they take advantage of our kindness and generosity. When we seek to return the hurt we experience from the hands of our loved ones. It’s any time we choose to reciprocate the unloving, unkind, hostile, unwelcoming and unappreciative behavior shown us.

Every day, we can experience what Jesus experiences: people (including you and me) not valuing and accepting what He is offering them. And every day we have the choice to respond how Jesus responds: not holding another’s actions against them but extending the gift of grace. Extending the gift that Jesus has continuously given to us despite the number of times we have turned our back on Him. I can’t think of a better way to express our gratitude for His grace than to be compelled and intentional about passing it on to others.