Undeserved Kindness
by Charles R. Swindoll
But we believe that we are saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 15:11
If you have traveled to London, you have perhaps seen royalty. If so, you may have noticed sophistication, aloofness, distance.
On occasion, royalty in England will make the news because someone in the ranks of nobility will stop, kneel down, and touch or bless a commoner.
That is grace.
There is nothing in the commoner that deserves being noticed or touched or blessed by the royal family. But because of grace in the heart of the queen, there is the desire at that moment to pause, to stoop, to touch, even to bless.
To show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn't deserve it and can never earn it.
Receiving God's acceptance by grace always stands in sharp contrast to earning it on the basis of works.
Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver.
Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Listen to today's broadcast of Insight for Living with Chuck Swindoll at OnePlace.com.
Visit the Bible-teaching ministry of Chuck Swindoll at www.insight.org.