The Grace of God

“For by GRACE you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God...”
Ephesians 2:8

“The word grace has a multiplicity of meanings in our daily lives and more importantly, in what God’s inspired Word has to say to us. We speak of a kind, courteous person as being gracious or graceful. The Greek work for grace is charis, and so we might refer to a polite, gracious, charming person, or one endowed with a special gift or talent, as being charismatic or full of grace.

Biblically, we often define grace as God’s unmerited favor -- His kindness, forgiveness, and mercy in the lives of believers. This definition is an excellent one and conveys in a rather static manner our standing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Clearly, as the Apostle Paul explains to the saints in Ephesus, grace is purely a gift from God -- undeserved and unmerited. A very important corollary to this definition which reveals the dynamics of God’s grace in our lives is found in Paul’s epistle to the Philippians 2:12, 13: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” How incredibly profound! It is God at work in each of us giving us the desire to know His will, and the power to accomplish it! It is not our own doing. Virtually all my life I heard brethren quote Phil. 2:12 in sermons and in conversations but never quoting verse 13 along with it! Clearly, the intent was to emphasize that we are individually to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling as if we have some innate ability to do that. That’s not at all what Paul is saying. Paul is warning us not to fail in the great work of salvation that God has called us to by not accessing the tremendous transforming power of God’s grace in our lives. The workmanship is God’s, not ours! “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

When we fail to receive the grace of God in our lives we suffer the consequences. Paul gives us a powerful reminder in Hebrews 12:14, 15: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord; looking diligently lest anyone fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”

Is it any wonder that the salutation of virtually every epistle begins with the word grace, and several of them have a closing benediction in which God’s grace is elicited? For example, Romans 1:7, “...Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” And in closing this same epistle Paul says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (16:24). May the benediction of 2 Peter 3:17, 18 be our portion, “You, therefore, beloved....grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”

© CDMI – Free Bible Students