“…But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” – Romans 5:20

The heart of the gospel is grace – God’s unmerited, overflowing love reaching into our brokenness to heal, restore, and transform. To be touched by grace is to experience the personal, transformative love of Christ that redeems us from sin, sustains us through trials, and equips us to share His compassion with others.

The Power of Grace Revealed in Jesus

Grace is seen most clearly in Jesus. He touched lepers with healing hands, stilled the torment of the possessed, forgave sinners with words of life, and even in His final breath prayed forgiveness for those who crucified Him. Each act revealed the Father’s heart of grace – a love stronger than sin, deeper than suffering, and wider than any human failing.

When Paul declared, “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Romans 5:20), he was testifying to the inexhaustible nature of God’s mercy. Grace is never overwhelmed by sin or despair; rather, it overflows, covering the deepest wounds and offering new life.

Grace That Transforms Lives

The gospel is filled with testimonies of people whose lives were radically changed by a touch of grace. The man once possessed by a legion of demons became the first missionary to Decapolis. The woman at the well, once shamed and isolated, became a bold witness for Christ. Paul, once a persecutor, became the apostle of grace.

Their stories echo a central truth: grace never leaves us as it finds us. It not only forgives but transforms. The same power that forgave the adulterous woman also enabled her to “go and sin no more.” Grace clothes us with dignity, restores our identity, and calls us into service for others.

 Living “Touched By Grace”

To live touched by grace means more than acknowledging God’s forgiveness, it means experiencing His transforming presence daily. Grace is practical and personal. It sustains the weary, comforts the grieving, strengthens the weak, and empowers us to extend compassion to others.

For us, as medical professionals, grace takes on a special meaning. In every patient we treat, every colleague we work with, every challenge we face, we are invited to reflect Christ’s compassion. Grace teaches us to see beyond symptoms to souls, beyond routines to relationships, beyond ourselves to Christ.

Living “Touched By Grace”

1. Grace Redeems – Just as Jesus’ touch cleansed the leper (Matthew 8:3), God’s grace redeems our sins and heals our guilt, shame, and brokenness. Healing may not always come in the form of physical cure, but grace always restores the soul and offers peace that surpasses understanding.
2. Grace Transforms – Like the demoniac clothed and in his right mind, grace changes us from the inside out. Our identity is no longer shaped by sin or failure, but by the redeeming love of Christ. Transformation becomes our testimony.
3. Grace Sustains – In moments of trial and weakness, grace strengthens us to persevere. It gives courage in suffering and hope in despair. When Paul heard Christ say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9), he discovered that human limitation is no obstacle to divine sufficiency. Grace empowers us in moments of exhaustion, doubt, or inadequacy.
4. Grace Provides Hope – In a world overwhelmed by suffering, grace gives hope. It assures us that sin does not have the last word. Grace is stronger, deeper, and greater. It offers peace now and eternal salvation in Christ.
5. Grace Sends – Those touched by grace cannot remain silent. The natural response is to share what Christ has done. Like the first missionaries of Decapolis, our witness is not primarily in eloquent sermons but in the authenticity of our own testimony and changed life.

 A Call to Witness

In a world numb to suffering and often striving in self-reliance, grace calls us back to dependence on God. It reminds us that we cannot heal or save on our own, but only through Christ working in us. Our role is to testify to what we have personally seen, heard, and experienced.

As Ellen White wrote,

“Our confession of His faithfulness is Heaven’s chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world…. That which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience. We are witnesses for God as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is divine. Every individual has a life distinct from all others, and an experience differing essentially from theirs…. These precious acknowledgments to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christ-like life, have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls.”                                                                        – The Desire of Ages, p. 347.3 

 Grace is not just God’s response to sin; it is His invitation to new life. It is the assurance that no matter how far we have fallen, God’s love reaches further still. To be touched by grace is to be transformed by Jesus, and then to become instruments of His grace in a hurting world.

This year, the theme “Touched By Grace,” will invite us to explore the depths of God’s abundant grace. Together we will discover how His grace meets us in weakness, redeems us, sustains us, provides hope, and sends us forth to serve with compassion and boldness. May we not only marvel at God’s grace but be living witnesses of it.