The apostle Paul, including himself among all the redeemed people of God, wrote, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Rom. 5:1,2) What a delight and comfort it is to us to think
about "this grace wherein we stand." In Christ, we stand justified freely by His
grace before God through His redeeming work. By Him, we stand at peace with God
through the blood of His cross. Through Him, we stand having access to God
through His pierced body. Because of Him, we stand in hope of the glory of God.
God's grace to us through Christ and Him crucified has put us on a completely
different standing. We stood in Christ when God chose us in that everlasting
covenant. We stood in Christ when He suffered the just punishment of our sin on
the cross. We stood in Christ when He rose from the dead. We fell in Adam but we
stand by God's grace in Christ. We stand amazed in this grace, secure in this
grace and loved of God in this grace. This "grace wherein we stand" is God's
grace, freely and sovereignly given to us in Christ before the world began.
Though we fall, as we often do, we do not fall from this grace but are lifted by
the hand of Almighty Love to stand. Though bowed and bent under heavy burdens,
trials and tribulations, we stand lifted again by this grace. "The Lord
upholdeth them that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down." Beneath
us are the everlasting arms of God's grace. The God of all grace continually
gives the graces of faith, repentance and love. Oh, "this grace!" This is God's
grace and is like Him, Almighty, sovereign and unchanging. It is just grace,
holy grace and keeping grace. In Christ our standing before God is the same as
His! It is "grace greater than all our sin!"