"But grace is not cheap. It is very expensive, even very dear. How much does this grace cost? Is it enough simply to believe in Christ? The man who found the pearl of great price gave all that he had for it." The Atonement All For All; Elder Bruce C. Hafen
My personal feeling is everyone receives a certain level of grace no matter who you are, what religion or race. Those who receive the most grace are those who exercise their moral agency to have it. God is no respecter of persons. He will not hold back any of His strength and power to anyone who has exercised their agency to receive it.
Grace Is Very Dear
The Doctrine and Covenants teach that Christ grew from grace to grace. The scriptures make it very clear that Christ was perfect, yet He still increased in grace. To me this says Christ didn't have the power to do all that he wanted but it sure seems like He received it eventually.
John 21:25 is an amazing scripture to ponder
"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen."
The Bible Dictionary says this about grace;
"It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means."
Grace is very dear because it gives you the power to make a difference and do things beyond your current and natural abilities. All of us are born with an innate longing to make something out of our lives.
Another reason why having Christ's grace is so dear is because it gives you incredible opportunity to be an instrument in His hands. The greatest level of happiness you can enjoy in this life is to be an instrument in God's hands. The greatest misery you will experience is if Satan is your master. You can't serve two masters at the same time.
There is an interesting near death experience book called There Is No Death by Sarah Menet. She emphasizes that small acts of kindness makes a larger impact than we realize. When all things are made known unto us in the next life we will be humbled by the acts of service done in secret by others that resulted in blessings for us. We will also know all the things that we could have done but didn't. Christ must have known this early on which could have been a reason for His hungering after more grace. Christ knew His mission and knew the salvation of all Fathers children rested on His shoulders.
It was paramount that Christ acquired a lot of grace. It is paramount that you and I receive as much grace as possible. We can receive the same level of grace that Christ received and in order to do that we need to do what He did.
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ also want us to feel responsible for the welfare of our neighbors to the point we will sacrifice deeply for them, just like Christ sacrifice His all for us. Grace is a key aspect in doing this.
Sarah also talked about a term in the spirit world that has no translation here but is "Xoi-Coi." This is a term used for people who take up space on this earth and waste their lives away in playing and having fun. These are people who think life is mainly about entertaining themselves. I think one of the greatest tragedies is to reach 90 years old facing death at any moment and wondering what you did with your life and realize it was wasted.
Grace Is Very Expensive
It is very expensive for a lot of it or all of it. God can't give His full grace (power) out to a man who has not earned it. A person who has Godlike power but doesn't use it for righteousness would create serious problems. You have to prove yourself worthy of a large measure of grace. You not only have to have complete trust in God but He has to trust you that you will do the right thing.
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