“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
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
I used to think that Grace and Mercy were opposites. Mercy is being spared what we deserve. Grace is being given what we don’t deserve. However, it is mercy (being spared what we deserve) and justice (getting what we deserve) which are opposite1 Grace is over and above both justice and mercy—being given what we could never merit, the very things we have by our sin disqualified ourselves from ever deserving.
In Greek history prior to the New Testament, grace originally meant to be “charmed or delighted.”2 It referred to “that property in a thing which causes it to give joy to the hearers or beholders of it”3 “The word then took on a subjective sense with the thought of ‘kindly,’ or ‘courteous,’ i.e. ‘a generous disposition.’ It is a virtual equivalent for the idea of the willing of good to someone. From this there developed the concrete connotation suggesting a ‘favor’ or ‘boon.’ A favor is the expression of good will. As exhibiting an attitude of the will and the feelings it is to be taken as a token of kindness. As grace implies not only a giver but also a receiver so it came to denote the gratitude felt by the recipient for the favor bestowed and the thanks by which the gratitude is expressed.”4
Apostle Paul championed the word grace to help give it the definition of God offering us a gift which should elicit joy, help us understand the great kindness of God, see His unmerited favor toward us, and receive with humble gratitude the indescribable gift of salvation, righteousness, and the forgiveness of sin which we do not deserve and could never merit. This gift is “given out of the bounty and free heartedness of the giver” to those who are His bitter enemies—deserving of His wrath—offered freely without any expectation of return.5
In Ephesians 2:8-9, we see this gift of God, called grace, which saves us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” We see saving grace again in Romans 5:21, “so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Also in Ephesians 1:7-8, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” and 2:4-5, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
“So in Jesus, God acted to reveal a righteousness that has no relationship to the law.” This “righteousness that comes from God and through faith in Jesus is given to all who believe.”6 God’s righteousness is His perfect gift to us in desperate need of right standing before God. The law shows us the standard of God’s holiness and the requirement for salvation. Since we all sin and fall short of the glory of God, we need a righteousness we could never earn through the law. This is where grace comes in. God steps in as our hero to save the day. He offers this gift with a joy in His heart out of a love so deep—a gift we could never deserve, at a price we could never pay—so that we might know His awesome goodness, kindness, and benevolence toward us who deserve His wrath. He has called us into His family (1 John 3:1), invited us to participate in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4), given us His great and precious promises, given us His holy power for living—the Holy Spirit or Spirit of Grace (Heb 10:29), and given us spiritual gifts to encourage the body of Christ. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
“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 4:16
“Paul is very careful to make plain that good works naturally issue from and are required by grace.”7 Grace leads us to live holy lives before the Lord. Even though we are not under the law to attain our righteousness, we endeavor to keep the law out of gratitude and thankfulness for the great gift of righteousness God has given and favored us with when we believed in Him for our salvation.
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-14
“For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” Jude 1:4
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15
So Paul encourages us to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1
“The Biblical concept of grace is much greater than is suggested in the common definition of ‘unmerited favor.’ ‘Grace’ is a word that expresses a radical view of life and of relationship with God.
“Grace teaches that God’s attitude toward us is one of acceptance and love; knowing God’s heart, we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Heb 4:16) with every sin and need.
“Grace is a dramatic statement about the human condition. Each person is helpless, trapped in sin and incapable of pleasing God or winning his favor.
“Grace is a proclamation. It is the triumphant announcement that God in Christ has acted and has come to the aid of all who will trust in him for their eternal salvation.
“Grace is a way of life. Relying totally on Jesus to work within us, we experience God’s own up unlimited power, vitalizing us and enabling us to live truly good lives.”8
“God’s grace is multiplied to believers by the Holy Spirit, imparting forgiveness, acceptance and power to do God’s will.”9
Oh Benevolent Father, bestower of love, righteousness, mercy, and grace, grant us reliance upon You and strengthening in You by Your incredible grace. Help us to attain to all the measure of the fullness of Christ and walk in your grace, in thoughts, in character, in actions, and in relationship with You and one another that we might know the joy of Your salvation, see the wonder of Your great gift to us, and live holy lives in gratitude for all You have done and are doing in our lives through Your grace. Amen!
Footnotes
1 Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. "Faith and Grace." Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. 1744. Print.
2 McDonald, H. D. "Grace." The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Vol. 2. Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1976. 799. Print.3 Wuest, Kenneth Samuel. "Ephesians and Colossians In the Greek New Testament." Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English Reader. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1973. 21. Print.
4 McDonald, 799.
5 Wuest, 23.
6 Richards, Larry. "Grace." Expository Dictionary of Bible Words. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1985. 318. Print.
7 Wuest, 23.
8 Richards, 320.
9 Stamps, 1744.
References
All Scriptures not otherwise specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.
