Grace

What is Grace? Grace may be defined as the Unmerited Favor Enabling Power of God!
The Unmerited Favor:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-9).


Grace is God’s mercy at work. Even though we were sinners, deserving of judgment, God forgave us and saved us in Christ. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7).


2. Enabling Power
The second part of the meaning of grace is just as important as the first. Not only does grace make us accepted into the family of God; it also enables us to live the Christian life. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

When we were yet powerless Christ has given His life for our salvation. Not by our own works, strength and ability that we should not boast of this salvation but all because of the goodness of God is manifested in His grace and mercy for us.
If we are saved Jesus has given us the power to overcome sins. . ”You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1)
”For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).
Because of God’s grace we were justified of our sins and redeemed us from the curses of sins.

We can say no to sins since because w/o His grace we can’t depend ourselves from not sinning again…”For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say ‘‘No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:11-12).


Missing the Grace of God

 Self-effort (Galatians 2:21; 5:4)
 Self-gratification (Galatians 5:13; Romans 13:14)
Grace is so important in God’s plan for our lives because only grace changes the focus of our lives from self to God. If we could save ourselves, the result would be pride and boasting. If we could live the Christian life in our own strength, the result. would be the same. “And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6).


Grace in Action
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:6).

But 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,
in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Grace be with you all!

Thanks for this good explanation of grace. I really liked your quote of Hebrews 4.16, so much I made it part of my signiture.

May the grace of God always be with you.

Didymus wrote:

Thanks for this good explanation of grace. I really liked your quote of Hebrews 4.16, so much I made it part of my signiture.

May the grace of God always be with you.

When I pray I always quote Heb. 4:16