From: "Beverly French" <frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us>
To: "Heritage" <gheritage.ga@verizon.net>
Subject: Joyous Greetings
Date: Sunday, June 23, 2002 6:56 AM

Only by grace can we enter,
 Only by grace can we stand
 Not by our human endeavor,
 But by the blood of the Lamb.
 Into your presence you call us
 You call us to come,
 Into your presence you draw us
 Now by Your grace we come."
(Words of a song we often sing in our Fellowship)

GRACE: The unmerited and undeserved favor and blessing of Almighty God.

Because God so loved, He provided a way for fallen humanity to be
 reconciled to Himself.  His desire is that not one should perish so He gave
His one and only unique perfect sinless Son to die for all.  Love and grace
united brought forth God's perfect plan, the gift of salvation.  To their
ultimate destruction,  not all accept this gift so freely given at such an
enormous cost.

But we who have accepted have these truths;
"...You were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and
made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart,
hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting]
in the name of  the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God."
1 Corinthians 6:11  Amplified Bible

"Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given
a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we]
have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through Him also we have [our] access
(entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in
which we [firmly and safely] stand..."  Romans 5:1-2

God has called us unto Himself to live in His presence -- "...a chosen
people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of
Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
1 Peter 2:9

We were "formally darkness, but now we are light in the Lord."   This is our
state of being now so we are to walk in the light as He is in the light.
The old self with its evil deeds has been laid aside and we have "...put
on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in
righteousness and holiness of the truth."  Ephesians 4:24

We are in this world, but not of it so the Apostle Paul tells us, not to "be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and
acceptable and perfect."  Romans 12:2  Thankfully, we have our gracious
Holy Spirit who dwells in us to lead and guide us into all truth.  Oh that
we would become so sensitive to Him that our spiritual ears would hear
and we would quickly heed His gentle prompting.

With one heart let us worship our so loving and gracious God; Father, Son
and Holy Spirit!  Praise to Him forever.