"And now is all my bitter pain and all my hard travail turned to endless joy and bliss to me and to thee."
Julian of Norwich (Ch. 24)
Jesus went through hard labor, suffering and laying down His life so we could be free from sin and death. And He completed His work and is now reigning in heaven in endless bliss. All His travail has been turned into bliss for Him and also for us! He joined with our humanity and thus included us in all of His work and all the effects and benefits that come from it. We did not have to do the hard work - Christ did - yet we reap all the benefits of His work. We do not have to labor and work and strive to get saved, get forgiveness, get freedom, get life. Christ already did all the work needed and it is finished! All His hard work is turned into endless joy for both Christ and us. We have been saved, set free from fear of death, forgiven and liberated from our sins, and lifted up from death into life with Christ! He did all the work and gave us all the benefits. Nothing is required of us, all is freely given to us. That is what grace is all about!
"It was by the generosity of God, the free giving of the grace of one man Jesus Christ, that the love of God overflowed for the benefit of all men."
Romans 5:15 (PHILLIPS)
A Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the gift of salvation, Your free gift of grace through Jesus!