I have learned that there are two kinds of grace. There’s SAVING grace and SUSTAINING grace.

As a believer I understood that Jesus paid the ultimate price for my shortcomings, mistakes, and sins through taking the punishment for them on the cross. I was forgiven for ALL my sins: past, present, future. Receiving His free gift of forgiveness means I no longer have to carry the weight of my sins (He took them all), and my identity went from sinner to saint. That’s SAVING grace.

I’m no longer bound by my old sins, nor am I powerless over the temptation to still sin. Jesus empowers and equips me through His indwelling Holy Spirit. That’s SUSTAINING grace.

However, as a believer, I still felt it was up to ME to live the Christian life through my self-sufficiency and effort. I was not fully depending upon His SUSTAINING grace.

The ABUNDANT life is leaning into His ongoing grace, which is the provision, protection, mercy, forgiveness, favor, and love of Jesus. The only way to live victoriously is to depend on Him to show me the way. What a game changer!

Friends, it’s not self-help. Instead, it’s dependency on the One who created you AND walks with you to live out His purpose for you. He didn’t leave you on your own to figure it out with you striving and grinding away in this life. We’ve made it so hard on ourselves trying to make ourselves ‘good enough’ when Jesus died not only to SAVE us but to SUSTAIN us everyday until we meet Him face to face. Now that’s AMAZING grace.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV).