What is the Grace of God?

We love God most deeply, most compulsively, when the realities of His grace overwhelm us. - C.J Mahaney

 

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.

 

 

One of the most significant truths in the bible is the concept of Grace.

 

When a Christian receives salvation, it is done only by Grace. One of the definitions of Grace is "Courteous goodwill", in other words when someone is saved, it simply is a goodwill gesture of God to give you and I salvation. In the Bible verse quoted, it says "And this is not your own doing" which simply put means there is nothing we can do to earn salvation. We cannot earn salvation by our own efforts. It is only by the grace of God – His courteous goodwill, His unmerited favour toward us who are undeserving. William Macdonald affirms in his Believer’s Bible Commentary, “It all originates with the grace of God: He takes the initiative in providing it. Salvation is given to those who are utterly unworthy of it...” (Macdonald, 2016).

 

God is known as the God of grace, and the Bible verifies that Jesus was "full of Grace and Truth" in John 1:14. The theme of grace is seen all over the New Testament (1 Peter 4:10, Titus 2:11, Hebrews 4:16, 2 Corinthians 13:14), appearing 131 times in the New Testament. The Doctrine of Grace can clearly be understood, yet overwhelming to comprehend, as Timothy George explained it "There is a sense in which God's Grace is so simple that even a small child can grasp its meaning, and yet it is so profound that the most learned theologians cannot fully comprehend its wonders and power" (George, 2011).

 

The Good Works Mentality

 

“not a result of works”

 

Many people particularly in secular forums assume that all religions work the same way – it (religion) is a list of rules and regulations, do’s and don’ts that must be observed and followed to please or earn favour with their God. We see this exhibited in many religions today – in Judaism there is an emphasis on obeying the Law / Torah as means of being right with God; in Buddhism salvation (nirvana) is attainable by following the Eightfold Path and living a disciplined, moral life; in Islam, the balance of one’s deeds (good works outweighing the bad) is the very measure of salvation; in Mormonism, it is salvation by grace “after all we can do”; for Jehovah’s Witnesses, eternal life is obtained by obeying Watchtower teachings, ordinances and proselytizing – works, obedience to laws, teachings, ordinances, practices are essential for salvation in these noted religions and more.

 

Contrastingly, in Christianity we see something profoundly different. The Bible teaches that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10) and that “we all fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God in His Holiness and Righteousness has a standard: perfection. Man in the fullness of our humanity, are flawed and imperfect beings and even “our righteous acts are like filthy rags” before God (Isaiah 64:6). It says in our quoted Bible verse that it is “not a result of works, so that no one may boast”, if salvation was by our own means we would have something to boast about and be proud of, yet it is not. Unlike other religions where a god, faith and ourselves help us reach and earn salvation, Christianity is the only faith that teaches God became a man in Jesus Christ and came down to earth, lived a perfect life and gave Himself up for us as the perfect sacrifice atoning for our sins. In God’s plan of salvation, He alone rightfully and wholly receives all the glory.

 

A tutor for faith

 

Galatians 3:24-25 – Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

 

The law refers to the Law of Moses, which is a set of instructions, commands, statutes and ordinances given by God to the Israelites that outlined God’s perfect and holy standard of obedience, worship and ways of living. The purpose of the law is likened to a mirror that reflects our true nature as human beings, it reveals and exposes our human sinfulness. It shows us that we cannot keep God’s law which is absolutely perfect and holy but by our nature will continuously violate His commands.

 

This is where the importance of grace intervenes for the believers and why we are in need of a Saviour. God extended His grace towards a lost humanity by sending His son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. We will stand as guilty in a court of law for our crimes, but in His mercy and grace, God provided a way out as Jesus paid for our penalty through his sacrifice and death, legally allowing a dismissal of our case.

 

By grace through faith

 

How does one earn this free gift? The Bible says God extends his gracious forgiveness through the atoning work of Jesus on the cross; this must be received by faith alone in Jesus. What does this mean for the believer? Simply that we make heaven our home explicitly on the work of Jesus on the cross. We must repent and believe in Jesus as our Saviour.

 

Grace is such a marvellous extension of God’s love because it ensures us heaven by faith in Jesus. This means you and I don't have to work our way to heaven. It is a free gift to all human beings, and God commands all men everywhere to repent, those who come to Him He will by no means cast him out (Acts 17:30, John 6:37). The Bible promises that if we repent and trust in Jesus, He promises to cast our sins as far as the east is from the west, He will make us a new creation in Christ, He will give us faith, a new heart and new desires. Religion teaches us to do good works to earn our favour and our ticket into heaven, Christianity says the sufficiency of God’s grace is enough to save us.

 

“to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.” – Ephesians 1:6

 

 

Bibliography

• George, T. (2011). Amazing Grace: God's Pursuit, Our Response. Illinois: Crossway

• Macdonald, W. (2016). Believer's Bible Commentary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson