Archive for the ‘John 17: 21-23’ Tag
A Few Good Quotes On Living Out Grace!
Filed under: Bible, By Karan Barthelmy-Harris, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: 1 Peter 4:10, A life of participation in Jesus' Life, Active Participation With Jesus, Basic Christian Doctrine, Being In God's Family, Bible, By Pastor Timothy, By Tim Brassell, By Timothy Brassell, Christian Faith, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Colossians 3:13, Ephesians 4:2-3, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Baltimore, GCI Windsor Mill, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's Faith, God's Grace, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, Having The Peace Of God, healing and love into the world, How God Reveals Himself, Humanity Revealed, Humanity Revealed In Jesus, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John 17: 21-23, John 1:16-18, Knowing The Father's Love, Life's meaning and Significance, Living out Grace, Love, Maryland, MD., Ministry, New Life Fellowship Baltimore MD, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, Participation, participation in the life of Christ by the Holy Spirit, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Participation with Jesus Christ, Psalm 103:12, relationship with God, Relationships, Revealing Your Life's Purpose, Sermons, Sharing God More Accurately, Sharing In God's JOy, Sharing In God's Laughter, Sharing In The Divine Nature, Son and Holy Spirit, The Basic Christian Belief, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, The Father Loves and Like You Fest, The gift of Grace, The God Who Is Love, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, the reason for your existence, Timothy Brassell of New Life Fellowship, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Uncategorized, Understanding God, Understanding Human Beings, Understanding Life's Calling, Union with Christ, Who Is God?, Who Is Jesus?, Worship, Worshipping Jesus Adoption
Leave a comment 
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” — Ephesians 4:2-3
We’ve all been there—faced with moments when forgiveness feels impossible, whether from small daily frustrations or deep hurts caused by those we love. It’s natural to wrestle with forgiving the “unforgivable.” C.S. Lewis captured this struggle perfectly when he said, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” Colossians 3:13 tells us— “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Though difficult, forgiveness is essential for living out the grace that Father has freely given us.
Grace, as described in John 1:16-18, is a gift from God through Jesus Christ by the Spirit. It’s not something we earn but receive. John Calvin emphasizes that this understanding of grace should move us to compassion and kindness toward others: “We ought to be the more inclined to show kindness and compassion…because God has bound us so much the more strongly to Himself by His grace.” Extending grace is how we reflect God[Father-Son-Holy-Spirit]’s love in a broken world.
But grace isn’t something to simply admire; it’s something we live out daily. 1 Peter 4:10 calls us to be stewards of this grace, applying it in our marriages, friendships, and communities. Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us that sometimes living out grace means speaking hard truths with love and accountability, even when it’s uncomfortable.
In marriage, Tim Keller says that grace mirrors the gospel—it’s filled with beauty and pain. We’re called to love our spouse deeply, to forgive, and to extend grace even when it’s tough: “We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” This grace requires intentional love and effort, even when it is most challenging.
Grace is also about presence and unity in our communities. Henri Nouwen notes that sometimes the greatest grace we can offer is simply to listen and be present without judgment: “When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us…it is those who…have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.” Augustine of Hippo adds that grace doesn’t take away life’s burdens, but it strengthens us to bear them: “What grace is meant to do is to help good people…bear [sufferings] with a stout heart.”
We must also learn to extend grace to ourselves. C.S. Lewis warns, “If God forgives us, we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise, it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.” Psalm 103:12 reassures us that God[Father-Son-Holy-Spirit] has removed our sins completely, and we can rest in His forgiveness.
But how do we live out this grace?
We are called to live out grace by participating in the life of Christ. John 17:21-23 highlights that we have unity in Christ through the Spirit, but this unity is a gift of grace. “As adopted children of God, we share in God’s life, but we are not God. This participation is not about merely striving to emulate Jesus, but about sharing in who Jesus is and what He has done for us…” — The Surprising God (The Claim of humanity In Christ by Alexandra Radcliff)
Gary Deddo explains that this participation is not something we strive for on our own but is already complete in Christ, being worked out in us by the Spirit. Thus, living out grace is not about our striving but manifesting the reality of our union with Christ.
Pastor Timothy Brassell explains, “Grace is impossible apart from Christ by the Spirit…But you can trust in the Lord and receive rest, knowing that Christ has already fixed our forgiveness.”
Our ability to live out grace isn’t through our own strength but through participation in the life of Christ by the Holy Spirit.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for the gift of grace through Jesus Christ. Help us live out this grace—extending forgiveness, compassion, and love to others. We cannot fully live it out on our own. Fill us with Your Spirit as we seek to participate with Christ. Teach us to trust You, especially when we struggle to forgive. May Your grace work through us, bringing healing and love into the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Photo Compliments:
bobvila.com (EDITED)