His Grace
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
Full of grace—what an amazing and true description of our Savior! Grace is a word we hear often. It appears frequently throughout Scripture. It’s repeated in the words of our hymns. Rarely does someone present the Gospel without mentioning grace. Yet what exactly is grace? How is our Savior gracious and how has He manifested this grace to us?
Grace is “the free and unmerited love and favor of God; the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him.” If grace is free and unmerited, that means it is something you cannot earn. It is given by God, and our job is to receive the free gift of grace. In fact, grace’s very nature is that it is not kept to oneself—it is given out. So when we say God is gracious, we are also saying that He has given us something we did not deserve. It’s in God’s nature to be gracious, and it’s in the nature of grace to give love and favor to others.
His Grace for Salvation
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (1 Cor. 8:9).
The gospel story is all about grace. It’s about our Savior, Who left His dwelling-place in heaven, and came to this earth. In heaven He was rich. Rich with the glory He deserved, rich with the adoration of the angels, rich in the beauty of that place. But He came to this earth, and lived in poverty. Hungry, thirsty, weary, discouraged, lonely, persecuted, He dwelt among us. And then He went to the cross, bearing your sins, my sins, the sins of the whole world—paying for those sins in full, satisfying the justice of the Father, enduring the cross for us. So that He could bestow on us the gift of salvation.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
My friend, if you could earn your salvation, it would not be of grace. God would owe you salvation, and He is no man’s debtor. If you could earn your salvation, there was no point to that awful, bloody cross. But salvation is of grace. Jesus Christ took what He did not deserve so that He could give us what we do not deserve. No one could ever deserve salvation. But Jesus, because of His work on Calvary, offers it as a free gift. It doesn’t matter how sinful you are. The salvation won at Calvary is enough for every sinner in the world. Have you received the free, gracious gift of God?
Not only did He give us salvation, but also all the blessings accompanying it! Acceptance, peace, joy, assurance, security, abundant life, hope, righteousness—at salvation, He did not just cleanse us from sin and release us from its consequences. Christ gave us His righteousness. He adopted us as sons! What grace!
His Grace for Sanctification
Though He redeemed us and gave us His righteousness and eternal life, we are not finished products yet. At salvation, God began a work in us that will continue till heaven. Often, as we grow in the Lord, we become acutely aware of our sinfulness, of our inability to be like Jesus, to live righteously. Sanctification—the process whereby we become like Jesus Christ—is God’s work.
Of course, we have a part too. God will not sanctify us against our will. Scripture clearly tell us that we have a part; we are to work out what God has worked in. But victory over sin is not something we can gain on our own. We need Jesus Christ. When we turn to Him, truly willing to give up our sin, truly desiring victory, He will enable us to live as more than conquerors.
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:32). His grace and His word can build you up and enable you to possess, here and now, the spiritual blessings of your inheritance. We do not have to live defeated. We do not have to live spiritually poor. He wants to sanctify us!
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). The same grace that saved us is the grace that also keeps us!
His Grace for Service
Have you ever thought about the fact that God does not need us? He could accomplish His work without us, but He gives us the gift and the privilege of serving Him! He chooses to use us in pointing others to Him; to be His hands and feet in this world. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8).
Even serving is something we cannot do without Him, though. We lack the wisdom, the strength, the love to selflessly serve Him by serving others. Yet, what He calls us to do, He also enables us to do. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Ephesians 4:7). God gives each believer at least one spiritual gift and the grace to use it for Him (Romans 12:6, 1 Peter 4:10).
So if you are holding back because you fear you cannot fulfill the calling He has given you, wait no longer. He will give you the grace you need to serve Him. He will give you grace to be a good and faithful soldier in this spiritual warfare. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1).
His Grace for Suffering
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Cor. 12:8-9).
Suffering is a part of life, and it doesn’t go away when we become Christ’s. But He offers grace to not only endure, but to experience His power, His consolation, His strength in the suffering. We have the hope of heaven and a weight of glory. And we have a Friend Who will never leave us nor forsake us. Suffering hurts—sometimes so much—but His grace runs deeper than the suffering. That’s not cliche; it truly, truly does. He will give you what you need to get through it and to come through victorious. His grace is sufficient.
All of these are glorious truths, but I would challenge you to examine whether they are realities in your life. He can enable you to show the same grace to others that He has poured out on you. Grace is a gift, but have you received it—for salvation, for sanctification, for service, for suffering? The grace of God is not just a theological truth, but a reality that can transform your life for His glory!
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work (2 Thess. 2:16-17).
