Several weeks ago as I sat in a Wednesday night Bible study, the statement was made, “The way to maintain grace is to be a channel of grace.” As I’ve pondered this, I’ve been challenged to look at grace a bit more in depth. I know we say that grace is “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”. While that is true, how do we maintain God’s riches? When I say maintain, I am using the definition of “continuing in or persevering in”. How do we continue in grace? According to the statement made by my husband that Wednesday night, it is by being a channel of grace.

First, we must realize our need for grace. Why do we need it? We are radically lost. We are sick. We are basically dead. The cure for that is Jesus. “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift.”——Ephesians 2:4-8 God’s grace allows us to be found, healed, and brought to life.

In that new life we are to continue living in that grace. That does not mean we just do whatever we want and expect God’s forgiveness. That new life means that we continue to develop into what He wants our lives to be. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”—Ephesians 2:10 We were created to work for God. Because of His grace, He gifted us with various gifts which are to be used for His glory. “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” —1 Peter 4:10 When we are good stewards of grace, we persevere in grace.

Grace is a lifestyle we live in once we accept that initial gift of grace. Grace flows through us as we use our gifts for His service. We were meant to share the blessings, not hoard the blessings. Living in grace requires that we are constantly aware of God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense and then allow our lives to be channels of those Riches.