UNDERSTANDING GOD’S GRACE

“Grace is God reaching downward to people who are in rebellion against Him”- Jerry Bridges

“Grace is unconditional love towards a person who does not deserve it”- Paul Zahl.

Grace Defined: “Grace” derives from the Greek, charis. In secular Greek, charis was related to chairo, “to rejoice.” As far back as Homer it denoted “sweetness” or “attractiveness.”Charis came to signify “favor,” “goodwill,” and “loving kindness” — especially as granted by a superior to an inferior. In the New Testament, “grace” (156 times) takes on a special redemptive sense in which God makes available his favor on behalf of sinners, who actually do not deserve it. Someone has proposed an acronym: Grace: G-God’s; R-Riches; A-At; C-Christ; E-Expense. Best known definition of grace: “God’s unmerited favor.” Also defined as, “the free and benevolent influence of a holy God operating sovereignty in the lives of undeserving sinners.”

Mystery of God’s Grace: gotquestion.org opines, “To fully understand grace, we need to consider who we were without Christ and who we become with Christ. We were born in sin (Psalm 51:5), and we were guilty of breaking God’s holy laws (Romans 3:9–20, 23; 1 John 1:8–10). We were enemies of God (Romans 5:6, 10; 8:7; Colossians 1:21), deserving of death (Romans 6:23a). We were unrighteous (Romans 3:10) and without means of justifying ourselves (Romans 3:20). Spiritually, we were destitute, blind, unclean, and dead. Our souls were in peril of          everlasting            punishment. But then came grace. God extended His favor to us. Grace is what saves us (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is the essence of the gospel (Acts 20:24). Grace gives us victory over sin (James 4:6). Grace gives us “eternal encouragement and good hope” (2 Thess. 2:16). Paul repeatedly identified grace as the basis of his calling as an apostle (Romans 15:15; 1 Corinthians 3:10; Ephesians 3:2, 7). Jesus Christ is the embodiment of grace, coupled with truth (John 1:14).”

Characteristics of grace:  The Bible repeatedly calls God’s grace a “gift” (Eph 4:7).  It therefore means: i. Nothing is owed in returned; ii. It’s free to the recipient; iii. Ownership has been transferred and it is now ours to keep; iv. The giver willingly and visibly loses ownership and there is a generous and voluntary exchange from the giver to the recipient; v. It’s completely unmerited; we do not deserve it. Grace is part of God’s character. It could mean free and undeserved bounty and unmerited favor. It is the kindness from God we don’t deserve and we are grateful for the kindness shown by another person. To show our thanks we offer gratitude. There is nothing we have done or can do to earn this favor. We have grace period; it’s a gift from God. Grace is for all God’s creatures: everyone. God’s grace has been offered to the entire human family. “For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men” (Tit. 2:11). “Grace is free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving” – B. B Warfield. “Where Sin abounded, grace did much more abound” – Rom 5:20.

Christianity is supremely a religion of grace. We sing about grace, write poems about grace and we name our Churches and children after grace but grace is not well understood and often not really believed.  Grace is scandalous: Hard to accept; hard to believe and hard to receive. It’s because we have been taught that there’s no free lunch in US and in most capitalistic entities as well as around the world. It does not sound right; it’s not natural and it’s truly not of this world. It frightens us because of what it does to sinners. It is what God does for others that they never could do for themselves. Grace is a gift that cost everything to the Giver and nothing to the receiver. It’s given to those who do not deserve it or hardly appreciate it.  “The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.”
Grace means that while we were completely and totally and absolutely dead in our sin, God decided to do something to rescue us. That something is described in three words: 1. Love – God reaching out to His creatures in benevolence; 2. Mercy – God withholding what we deserve – judgment and punishment from us (Psalm 78:38; Nehemiah 9:17); 3.  Grace – The unmerited favor of God. Put it another way: Grace is a vast reservoir of God’s love that flows towards us; it becomes a river of mercy. As it cascades down upon us, the mercy becomes a torrent of grace. *Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve – Judgment and Grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve – salvation. A mighty river of grace washing over us is especially helpful, since grace always comes down from God to man; it never goes up.

How does grace comes to us? Grace comes to us through faith, not by works, not by religion, not by anything we might conceive as learning God’s favor (Gal 2:16; Eph 2:4-10). Grace saves us through faith – nothing more or less.  God’s grace is the source or reservoir; Faith is the means or channel and Salvation is the result or the stream that washes our sins away. All of these three are gifts of God. The door of heaven has a sign – “FOR SINNERS ONLY” Grace means that no one is too bad to be saved.

Good News Today: God specializes in saving really bad people. Do you have something in your background that you would be ashamed to talk about in the public? Fear not! God knows already about it. His grace is greater than your sin. There is no sin God’s grace cannot wash away. Grace means that some people may be “too good” to be saved. They have high opinion of themselves and think of their good deeds to be compared with grace. They don’t understand their need for God’s grace. They may accept they are sick of sin but do not know they are spiritually dead. God’s grace only helps you when you desperate need it. The law was given to Moses but grace and truth were realized by Christ Jesus (John 1:14, 17; Titus 2:11); both in Luke 4:11, 22(words) and Matt 9:36; Mk 6:31(works).
Jesus did not come to judge or condemn but to forgive and to save – grace (John3:16-17; 8: 10-11). The entire work of Christ in coming to earth, dying for sinners and being crowned with glory is said to be by grace of God (Heb 2:9). Our redemption is ‘according to the riches of His grace (Eph 1:7). Our calling through His grace (Gal 1:15) and justification is the gift of grace Rom 3:24; Titus 3:7). The gospel is the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24) and the scripture is the word of His grace Acts 14:3; 20:32).

Christians as recipients of God’s grace are to be gracious and serve others; exercise our spiritual gifts for the building up the Saints. (Rom 12:6; Eph 3:2, 7; 4:7; 1 Peter 4:10). You have to decide to take advantage of God’s grace availed to us by putting faith in Christ Jesus and His sacrifice for us; become saved and obtain His favor. Through Jesus, daily we receive “grace upon grace” (John1:16).