UNDERSTANDING GRACE

UNDERSTANDING GRACE

“Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” 2 Tim. 2:1 

Grace is the divine influence upon our heart and it is good and godly replication in our lives. Simply put it is unmerited favor [gift] bestowed by God. It is beneficial, favorable and impact joy upon the recipient’s life. Grace is dynamite like in nature and available to all believers.  Grace is God’s un-coerced creativity and prevalent, extravagant demonstrations of care, love and favor. God gives nothing less than Himself.

Grace, then, is not a third thing or substance mediating between God and sinners, but is Jesus Christ in redeeming action. Saving grace therefore is bestowed upon all unbelievers who will willingly accept the atoning death of Christ as the price paid for their redemption. Christians live godly lives by the grace of God and Grace transforms our desires, motivations, and behavior into Christ-like ones, it grounds and empowers everything in our Christian life.

“Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Romans 4:4-8

The above scripture is grace. Paul couldn’t say it any better. To him who works, it is debt; merit is payment for work done. To the Lord, we are debtors who cannot pay. The essence of grace is its voluntary free bestowal. We must cling with all our might to the merit of Jesus Christ. He alone has the merit to satisfy the demands of God’s justice, and He gives it freely to us. And the more we understand what God has done for us as sinners, the more willing we should be to do whatever He requires. It is Christ’s merit covering our demerit.

Hear what some bible scholars say about grace

"Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines him to bestow benefits on the undeserving." – A W. Tozer

“Grace is "the unmerited operation of God in the heart of man, effected through the agency of the Holy Spirit." - Berkhof

“Grace is free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving.”- B.B. Warfield

“Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues.”- John Stott

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

“Grace is unconditional love toward a person who does not deserve it.” (Paul Zahl)

“Grace is the free and benevolent influence of a holy God operating sovereignly in the lives of undeserving sinners” John MacArthur

Grace is most needed and best understood in the midst of sin, suffering, and brokenness. We live in a world of earning, deserving, and merit, and these result in judgment. That is why everyone wants and needs grace. Judgment kills. Only grace makes alive. Our identity and our stand in Christendom is by Grace [1 Cor. 1:10, Romans 5:2]. It is favor bestowed on sinners who deserve wrath. Showing kindness to a stranger is "unmerited favor"; doing good to one's enemies is more of the spirit of grace (Luke 6:27-36).

Grace is where God shows us mercy, kindness, and patience instead of the judgment that we deserve for sinning against Him. God's grace cannot be earned by our actions or sincerity. Grace is based on the character of God and not on our sincerity, performance, or ability to keep the law of God. Otherwise, grace would not be grace. It is not of our works [Romans 11:6, Galatians 2:21].  The entire Christian life is driven and empowered by grace: "It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods" (Hebrews 13:9). Peter said we should "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

Grace is - “mercy, not merit.” Grace is the opposite of karma, which is all about getting what you deserve. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve, and not getting what you do deserve. Christianity teaches that what we deserve is death with no hope of resurrection but that it changes when grace brings life.

Both grace and truth are powerful instrument for living a godly life and doing the works of ministry and both came by Jesus Christ

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” John 1:17 

The Old Testament laws shows how hard by our own strength to attain to fulfill it but Jesus came to give us the free goodwill of the Father which are both natural and spiritual in nature. When grace accompanies truth in our hearts then we can actually have revelation of the truth that sets free [John 8:32].

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” Rom 3:24 

Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth [John 1:14]. If as He is so are we in the world, then we also are supposed to be epitome of grace for of His fullness have we received and grace upon grace.

The Christian journey actually do not start until we are justified freely by this grace through the redemptive process that was initiated in Christ Jesus. Of His fullness we have actually received and imparted with one level of grace to another.

“For the grace of God that bring salvation hath appeared to all men,  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” Titus 2:11-12

The gospel or good news of the Kingdom of God is actually the good news of the grace of God, [Acts 20:24]. By grace the season of sin is done away with and we are to reign through right standing in God as we deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts. 

Grace does not nullify the moral demands of God's law. Rather, it fulfills the righteousness of the law (Romans 6:14-15). It does not annul the righteous demands of the law; it confirms and validates them (Romans 3:31).

Grace is the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that has set us free from the law of sin and death [Romans 8:2]. God has acted to set us free from sin — not just the consequences, but it's very power and presence. We are now empowered to enjoy the liberation from sin's cruel power and defiling influence by denying ungodliness [Titus 2:12], for we are Christ workmanship recreated by the Holy Spirit for good works [Ephesians 2:10].

“That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might by grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 5:21 

Not only does salvation come by grace but grace condones sin and all ungodliness. We must not continue in sin that grace may abound. God forbid! When we pay the price of uprightness in God, nothing good will He withhold from us.

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” Psalms 84:11 

Grace is the good will of God towards us, and the good work of God in us. God's good will works the good work, and then the good work qualifies us for further tokens of his good will. As the cistern receives water from the fullness of the fountain, the branches sap from the fullness of the root, and the air light from the fullness of the sun, so we receive grace from the fullness of Christ continually.

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” Rom 5:2 

Grace is serviceable unto all facet of our body, soul and spirit. Grace for grace is grace for the promoting and advancing of grace. We grow in grace [2 Peter 3:18]. Grace is to be exercised by ourselves; gracious habits for gracious acts. Grace to be ministered as custodian of grace to others; grace is a talent to be traded with; the more you use it to benefit others the more grace is released unto you for further good works! The apostles received grace (Romans 1:5; Eph. 3:8), that they might communicate it to benefit all believers [1Pet. 4:10].

Grace for grace is one grace to improve, confirm, and perfect another grace. We are changed into the divine image, from glory to glory, from one degree of glorious grace to another [2 Cor. 3:18]. Those that have true grace and are humble at heart, have that for more grace [James 4:6]. When God gives grace he says, take this in part; for he who hath promised will perform and will even give more. Grace empowers us for our speech to be seasoned in grace [Coll. 4:6]

Grace is for both in-working in us to make us look and be more like Jesus and it is also for outworking, also working through us to others to change them into Christ likeness. Grace teaches us and when we conform to his will, we will be promoted and made to reign in life [Romans 5:21]. Truth encompasses all that grace reveals and grace is the fulfillment of all that the truth promises.

Grace is generously bestowed by God and abundant in its release [2 Cor. 9:8, Eph. 1:7], it is sufficient [2 Cor. 12:9] and full of wonders [Eph. 1:6]. It is readily available to the humble [1 Peter 5:5]. It saves the human beings needlessly [Eph. 2:5]. It justifies the sinners [Romans 3:24] and grace calls and equip for the ministry [Gal. 1:15, Heb. 12:28] and equips for all other vocation where the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of God is readily needed to excel like medicine, carpentry and engineering. It is a good source of consolation and hope [1 Thess. 2:16]. By grace, we are heirs of God [Titus 3:7, 1 Peter 3:7] and we are full of hope [2 Thess. 2:16]. Under grace we have victory [Romans 6:14].

“…that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God's grace that you have been saved. In our union with Christ Jesus he raised us up with him to rule with him in the heavenly world. He did this to demonstrate for all time to come the extraordinary greatness of his grace in the love he showed us in Christ Jesus. For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it” Eph. 2:5-8 GNB