When I was a child, grace was a little poem said before a meal or the first name of a neighbor’s wife. When I became a Christian, it began pointing to a vague concept about God’s undeserved blessing. Despite reading many books about grace, it takes time and experience with the ways of God to develop a fuller understanding.
In the OT, grace is about ‘the favorable disposition of one person to another’ but the NT gives it fuller meaning. There, grace is ‘the acceptance of and goodness toward those who cannot earn or do not deserve such gain.’ This is something God does and the Bible declares is needful, otherwise our sin would prevent the goodness of God from being experienced by any human being.
NT GRACE began with Mary when the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” No mention that she did anything, just that God decided to bless and use her for His purpose. She was to be the mother of Jesus Christ, God the Son.
John 1:14–17. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth . . . . For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Some define grace with an acronym: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense because grace is the reason and ground for salvation:
Ephesians 2:8–9. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Hebrews 2:9. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Grace is seen most clearly as God’s reason for the gospel yet grace is also the enabling of God’s power to those who preach it, and the motivation behind all that God does to bless His people and fulfill His purposes.
2 Corinthians 8:9. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Grace is the reason for redemption, forgiveness, justification, sanctification and new life in Christ. We are kept in His care by grace, will be glorified by grace, and as 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 says, made worthy by grace:
“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Because of grace, I can live in a new way. While I still battle Satan and the sinful desires of the flesh, as Romans 6:14-17 says, “Sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” because grace enables me to be “obedient from the heart” to the teachings of the Lord.
Grace affects my work, relationships and all areas of life. It gives me joy in trails, spiritual gifts, and a desire to serve others. I know that His grace is sufficient for all my needs and problems.
2 Corinthians 12:9. He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY most easily happens when I feel weak. Boasting in weakness becomes a possibility because of grace — simply because feeling needy drives me to God’s throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and find grace to help me when help is needed . . . and I feel that need constantly and thoroughly throughout the day. Because of God’s rich and abundant supply of grace (that extends to more and more people), grace also increases my level of thanksgiving and deepens my desire to glorify God.
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