Personal Note: I haven’t approached this topic before because of the overwhelming nature of grace and it’s impact on humanity. I bring only an aspect of grace to light here, there is so much more to explore concerning grace. Let me say from the outset that I believe Jesus is the personification of grace, and that will never change, especially for me. 
Websters 1828 dictionary defines grace like this: Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him. The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner. A state of reconciliation to God. Favor conferred; mercy; pardon; privilege.
Strong’s greek lexicon defines grace this way:
Good will, loving-kindness, favor
a) of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
b) The token or proof of grace, benefit, bounty.
Ephesians 2:4-10 (NASB)
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
One of the most startling features of grace is the fact that it is free. God places no restrictions upon grace, it is always available and can always be received by anyone who merely asks for it.
The human condition has historically based it’s expectation on God in the form of commerce and cost. Some religions require penance (or payment) for past sins, as others have devised ways to buy one’s way out of hell (or purgatory) by making payments to the organization or to those who are in charge of said organization.
More often than not we tend to base most of our decisions on the value of a thing and 'what is it going to cost me'. For us to receive anything free of charge seems too surreal, there may something from our past which may bring doubt as to the authenticity of someting actually being free, there has to be some type of accounting, right? Some type of value or energy expended on our part to acquire the thing we desire?
More often than not we tend to base most of our decisions on the value of a thing and 'what is it going to cost me'. For us to receive anything free of charge seems too surreal, there may something from our past which may bring doubt as to the authenticity of someting actually being free, there has to be some type of accounting, right? Some type of value or energy expended on our part to acquire the thing we desire?
The deal (known as grace) has already been struck and completed by God Himself, and there is nothing we could add to the transaction. In fact, God declares that the price of the transaction was too high for us to make the payment ourselves. The payment method required holiness (separateness) from the human condition (sin) to complete the transaction. That is why God Himself paid the price, He became the sin bearer for all humanity, because no one else could do it. Jesus paid for the required transaction by suffering and dying on the cross, thus paying the penalty for our sin which we inherited from Adam, and redeeming all humanity from death.
Romans 5:6-8 (NASB)
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
There is a requirement to look at grace from a different paradigm (way of thinking) than we would normally think. It requires a shift in our thinking processes, from the possible to the impossible.
God’s grace is the impossible thing we could never attain on our own, we could never attain it by being good enough, strong enough, patient enough or wealthy enough. It is totally out of the reach of man’s attainability. That is the way grace works, as it cannot be acquired by man, it can only be given by God.
This is the strangeness of grace, we cannot possess it, and we cannot control it for it is not tangible like money or possessions, it is the presence of Christ. We receive it. We have to 'step out of the way' (so to speak) to allow grace to take hold of our lives and begin changing our mind, will, and emotions.
John 16:13-15 (NASB)
13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
Grace is the action of God working in the man or woman of God. However, grace is not a verb, it is a noun. Jesus referred to the Spirit as 'He', grace is a person. Paul further described this person as 'Christ in you' (Colossians 1:27). The Holy Spirit administers God’s grace. He is our comforter and our companion for He speaks of Jesus.
Strong’s greek lexicon defines 'Comforter' or 'Helper' this way:
Strong’s greek lexicon defines 'Comforter' or 'Helper' this way:
paraklētos
summoned, called to one's side, especially called to one's aid, advocate,
intercessor.
intercessor.
The Holy Spirit is both delivering and working God’s grace into our lives. His purpose is to remind us, to teach us, to comfort us, to fight for truth alongside us, and to transform us.
John 14:16-17 (NASB)
16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
This is grace, the power and person of Christ working in and through our lives.
I would say that grace is a pretty good deal! God really knew what He was doing!
I would say that grace is a pretty good deal! God really knew what He was doing!
↓ Click Here to listen to the song
Grace Flows Down
Words and Music by David Bell, Louie Giglio and Rod Padgett
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
Amazing love, now flowing down
From hands and feet that were
nailed to the tree
as grace flows down and covers me
Chorus
It covers me
It covers me
It covers me
and covers me
Copyright 2000 worshiptogethersongs.com/Six Steps Music
Administered by EMI Christian Music Publishing
The music above is copyrighted by the respective artists, and is demonstrated here for educational purposes only.
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