The Power Of Grace

By Otto Stockmayer (1838 – 1917)

    “…The grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

    In the redemption brought to us by Christ – “bringing salvation to all men” – we have all that we need to empower us to deny the former frames of mind and to enable us to break loose from a world of lust, estrangement from God, folly, and unrighteousness.  Grace cleanses and looses us from all sin.  In His grace we have all the power to live so as to please God here below, while we wait for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He came down into the imprisonment of this earthly life that we should not remain prisoners of our bodies and to the exhalations of a world poisoned through and through by sin.

    Now the question of hope arises.  If we would pass unstained through the temptations which are awaiting us today, and remain true to our Savior, we must have an eye to that which lies before us.  Faith draws now in the present moment upon grace, with the eye upon the hope of the Lord’s soon coming…which depends, as far as I can see, only upon His finding at His coming a people prepared for Him.  He waits more for us than we for Him.

    He who has grasped this fact can no longer delay to cleanse himself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (2 Cor. 7:1).

    ...Thou hast heard of the power of grace.  Well, then, put thy confidence in it.  Grace forms us as we yield ourselves to it.  In your former ignorance you have never had an idea that there was a power equal to free you from all the yoke which has kept you bound so long.