Word of God, Word of Life; Thanks be to God

Scripture:

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is inspired by God and is [a] useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Observation:

I often hear verse 16, above, dealt with on its own. It has become somewhat of a proof text for those who want to argue for scripture as inerrant and exhaustive in its revelation of God's definitive will with respect to every possible circumstance.
What stands out for me today is how verse 17 qualifies very 16. It seems to say that teaching and training in righteousness is not an end in itself (to be reached by the proper use and understanding of scripture which functions as the answer key for all life's questions), but a means to an end. The end is not that we would be set apart from the world for righteousness sake (getting a perfect score), but that we will receive continually the capacity and the character to participate with God in the world in goodly ways. In this way, scripture becomes less an answer key and more an ongoing conversation with the Teacher.

Application:

Someone said to me yesterday, "Pastor, I believe that we are saved by grace alone, but what is grace, and how do we know we have it?"

Good question, right!?

My first (and only completely honest) answer is that God's grace is not a thing that can be possessed, but an epically deep and wide place in which we stand. We are promised by God that we have been put into this grace place not through any action of our own, but through God's sacrificial and faithful love. But we are invited to explore the grace place. The work of faith is not achieving or possessing grace, but exploring its depth and breadth. It is worthy work and can never be completed in this lifetime.

Grace is God's gift to us, freely offered. 

As a gift, grace cannot be possessed or had. 

Grace is far more able and likely to take hold of us than we of it. 

This gift is meant to animate our activity in the world 

while enriching our relationships with God and neighbour. 

Grace does not paralyze us, but gets us going and keeps us moving.

I wonder how you would answer those questions put to you:

i) What is grace?

ii) How do you know you have it?

Prayer:

Creator, your providential love brings forth everything we need to grow and flourish under Your continuous care. Today I am thankful for the holy scriptures and for Your standing promise to meet us there anytime so that we might converse with your Living Word. Thank you for the big space of Your grace! Grant us good courage to explore boldly and to invite outsiders in. Amen.