"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."
-- Acts 20:32

What can grace accomplish? What can it do? Such a list of the accomplishments of grace might very well be endless. Among the many things that grace "does," two stand out: (1) The ability of grace to empower believers, and (2) its inheritance, its dynamic impact or bearing on believers.

Empowerment occurs in just about every form of human experience. Grace enhances intellect, stimulates physical strength, provides psychological clarity, enables verbal communication, emboldens courage and the ability to react properly in an emergency; and grace strengthens character.

All of this is only peripheral. The kernel benefit of grace empowerment is spiritual. Grace enables spiritual dynamics to develop. This in my view, is its most dramatic and important feature. First, and likely most important, grace enables a nonbeliever to believe. Grace gives us the power to reduce the level of sin in our life. Grace enables a speaker to speak with spiritual power and persuasion. Grace provokes creative faith.

Concerning the second feature of "inheritance" or the "dynamic impact" of which we spoke, a passage from Hebrews comes to mind . . .

"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them."

It is not entirely accurate to say that an "inheritance of grace" enables our service to God and to his people. Grace is not derived from our efforts. We are the recipients of grace . The inheritance of which our passage speaks is an "inheritance among all those who are sanctified." The inheritance of grace springs from those whom we serve. It is the grace accorded to us by those we serve that is a most satisfying "inheritance" indeed!

It is clear from the Hebrews passage that God is appreciative as well.

Sometimes in Christian service, our motivations get all mixed up. We want to serve. We want to help. We want to be used by God in his fields. Yet, we also want to eat. We want to pay our rent. And yes, if we are honest, we like the honor, approbation, and applause that come from helping others.

But despite the confusion of our spiritual desires with our very human lusts, grace is the overcoming factor. God does not forget our service to him, despite our less than pure motives. And from grace springs an eternal and continual inheritance.