As I was pondering the beauty of the gift of grace this morning and thinking about all my Dove brothers and sisters who love the Lord and stand so firmly on their beliefs about Him, I had somewhat of a picture in my mind of how this whole incredible salvation thing works and how each step of the process feeds the other.  I quickly wrote it down and wanted to share with all of you.  I pray it is a blessing!

A Picture of Grace

Word of God = Faith

We hear the Word of God, and Jesus authors our faith.

Faith = Believing

We believe Him with all our hearts, and we experience a true heart change by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Believing = Gratitude

We overflow with thanksgiving and gratitude for such an undeserved and wonderful gift being freely given to us by our all-powerful Creator!

Gratitude = Love

Through humble gratitude, we grow to truly love our Lord Jesus, even though we cannot see Him, for what He has done for us through His amazing love for us. 

Love = Obedience

Our love for Jesus feeds our desire to surrender to Him, please Him, and obey His commands and His personal direction for our lives, understanding that it is His plan and for His glory.

Obedience = Peace

As we love and obey our Lord, we begin to experience peace that comes through resting in Him.  We trust Him to prompt and compel us to do His work, and we simply obey.  We don't have to do our own works; we wait on Him to do His works through us.

Peace = Joy

The peace of being in the will of our Almighty God and Savior and truly trusting Him for all things brings unspeakable joy!

Joy = Hope 

We live our lives full of hope for our future!  A future where we know we are His, we know He will never leave us for forsake us, and we know that our redemption and inheritance are sure and are very near!  We are secure in Him, because our hope is in Him!!

Isn't this wonderful??!!  This is salvation, and all we have to do is believe!  Our Lord takes it from there!  And, when He takes it, there will be works through us.  But the works are His, and they are perfect!  And in this very scenario, He is glorified, and He is truly God! 

Hallelujah to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for their perfect plan and perfect grace!