What is the definition of grace?

Answer

The gospel message is the good news of God’s grace, so it is important to understand what grace is and continually strive to gain a better understanding of what grace accomplishes in our lives.

Grace is a fundamental aspect of God’s character. It is closely linked to God’s kindness, love, and compassion. Grace can be described in different ways, such as “God’s favor towards the undeserving” or “God’s kindness towards the unworthy.” Through His grace, God is willing to forgive us and shower us with blessings, even though we do not merit such treatment or generosity.

To truly grasp the concept of grace, we must reflect on our state before and after coming to Christ. We were born into sin «Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; And in sin my mother conceived me.», (Psalm 51:5), and we stood guilty of violating God’s sacred laws (Romans 3:9-20, 23;1 John 1:8-10). We were God’s adversaries (Romans 5:6,10;8:7;Colossians 1:21), deserving of death «For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.», (Romans 6:23a). We were unrighteous «as it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one.’», (Romans 3:10) and incapable of justifying ourselves «Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified.», (Romans 3:20).D in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” , (Romans 3:20). Spiritually, we were destitute, blind, unclean, and dead. Our souls were in peril of everlasting punishment.

But then came grace. God extended His favor to us. Grace is what saves us “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: “, (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is the essence of the gospel “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. “, (Acts 20:24). Grace gives us victory over sin “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. “, (James 4:6). Grace gives us “eternal encouragement and good hope” “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, “, (2 Thessalonians 2:16). Paul repeatedly identified grace as the basis of his calling as an apostle (Romans 15:15;1 Corinthians 3:10;Ephesians 3:2,7). Jesus Christ is the embodiment of grace, coupled with truth “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).

The Bible consistently refers to grace as a “gift,” for example, Ephesians 4:7. This analogy is significant as it imparts key insights about grace:

Firstly, anyone who has ever received a gift comprehends that a gift differs greatly from a loan, which necessitates repayment or return by the recipient. The designation of grace as a gift signifies that no reciprocation is expected.

Secondly, there is no expense to the recipient of a gift. A gift is bestowed freely upon the recipient, although it incurs a cost to the giver, who bears the burden. The gift of salvation exacts nothing from us as sinners. However, the bestowal of such a lavish gift came at a significant cost for our Lord Jesus, who sacrificed Himself in our place.

Thirdly, once a gift has been presented, ownership of the gift is transferred, and it now belongs to us. A gift possesses a permanence that loans or advances lack. When a gift changes hands, the giver permanently surrenders all rights to retract or reclaim the gift in the future. God’s grace is eternally ours.

Fourthly, in the act of giving a gift, the giver willingly sacrifices something they own, willingly giving up what is theirs so that the recipient may benefit from it. The giver becomes poorer so that the recipient can become richer. This selfless and voluntary exchange from the giver to the recipient is exemplified in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

Lastly, the Bible teaches that grace is entirely undeserved. The gift and the act of giving are completely unrelated to our merit or inherent worth (Romans 4:4;Romans 11:5-6;2 Timothy 1:9-10). In fact, the Bible expressly states that we are unworthy of God’s salvation. Romans 5:8–10 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. . . . While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”We were once God’s enemies, but we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son.”

Grace continues even after our salvation; God’s grace is with us throughout our lives, working within us and transforming us. The Bible reveals many additional blessings that grace guarantees for every believer:

• Grace justifies us before a holy God (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:6; Titus 3:7).

• Grace gives us access to God for communication and fellowship with Him (Ephesians 1:6; Hebrews 4:16).

• Grace establishes a new intimate relationship with God for us «And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. », (Exodus 33:17).

• Grace disciplines and trains us to live in a way that honors God (Titus 2:11-14; 2 Corinthians 8:7).

• Grace bestows upon us immeasurable spiritual riches (Proverbs 10:22; Ephesians 2:7).

• Grace assists us in all our needs «Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.», (Hebrews 4:16).

• Grace is the foundation of all our deliverances (Psalm 44:3-8; Hebrews 4:16).

• Grace preserves us and provides comfort, encouragement, and strength (2 Cor

In Corinthians 13:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17; 2 Timothy 2:1.

Grace is actively and continually working in the lives of God’s people. Paul credited the success of his ministry not to his own substantial labors but to “the grace of God that was with me” “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”, (1 Corinthians 15:10). Grace is the ongoing, benevolent act of God working in us, without which we can do nothing “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”, (John 15:5). Grace is greater than our sin “Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”, (Romans 5:20), more abundant than we expect “And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”, (1 Timothy 1:14), and too wonderful for words “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”, (2 Corinthians 9:15).

As the recipients of God’s grace, Christians are to be gracious to others. Grace is given to us to serve others and to exercise our spiritual gifts for the building up of the church (Romans 12:6; Ephesians 3:2,7; 4:7; 1 Peter 4:10).