What is God’s grace?
If you have ever been in church you’ve likely heard about God’s grace. It’s one of those words that you hear almost every Sunday. It’s a buzzword of sorts. While we hear about it all the time, many miss how God’s grace actually applies to our lives.
We use the word so much I think we’ve forgotten what grace actually means. Worse, I think we’ve forgotten how beautiful and life-changing God’s love and grace is. So what I want to do in this blog post is help you discover, or rediscover the beauty of it. Let’s dive into what God’s grace is and how it applies to our life.
The Meaning Of God’s Grace
Let’s start by looking briefly at the Biblical definition of the word grace.
The Greek word charis (χάρις) is what is often translated as grace in the New Testament. This word brings a picture of kindness, showing favor, often with a focus on a benefit being given.
Grace is what God does because he’s gracious. Grace is a gift of God. Not because we deserve it or did enough good works. But instead, because God is good. Grace is a result of the love of God. It’s the unmerited favor of God.
The word grace is rich. Its meaning reaches far beyond the textbook answer. So what I want to look at is how we can better understand this grace that God gives us and what it does in our life.
What Is God’s Grace? (7 Works Of Grace)
So, what is God’s grace? What does it do? Let’s look at 7 facets of God’s grace.
1. God’s Grace Is About Forgiveness
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 (read more here)
The Bible teaches us that grace is a gift of God. Our mistakes, our sins, condemn us and separate us from God. But God doesn’t leave us to deal with the consequences of our sins. On the cross, Jesus Christ displayed his great love for us by taking on what we deserved.
The grace of God gives us what we need instead of what we deserve. In our time of need, God provides us with divine assistance. The act of grace is not what we deserve, but it’s what we are in desperate need of.
God’s grace allows us to experience forgiveness and lets us live in freedom from our sins.
2. God’s Grace Is Undeserved (but he gives it anyway)
He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. 2 Timothy 1:9
The beauty of God’s grace can only be fully understood when we realize how fallen, broken, and undeserving we are. Simply put, we do not deserve grace. We deserve death. But again, God gives us what we need instead of what we deserve. We cannot do anything to earn it. The result of works will never earn God’s grace.
I see some Christians who feel entitled to grace. Like it was God’s pleasure to die for them. Jesus didn’t go to the cross because we are worthy, but because he is good.
We have done and can do nothing to earn God’s grace. Our own effort and good behavior will always fall short. The Bible makes clear that the results of works on our own amount to nothing. It’s by the grace of God alone that we are saved.
3. God’s Grace Is New Everyday
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8
I don’t know about you, but I can’t go very long without making a mistake. I find myself in constant need of God’s grace. And thankfully his grace is with me every morning when I wake up.
All our past sins, present sins, and future sins are covered when we put our faith in Jesus. That should not be an invitation to keep sinning. Rather a way out of the cycle of sinning. God’s grace is new every day, and that allows us to be transformed into his image.
By the grace of God I’m not who I once was, but I’m not fully there yet. I’m in process, I’m being transformed. God’s grace allows me to continue in this transformation process. When I screw up again today I will wake up to new grace tomorrow.
Whatever you have done, are doing, or will do, God’s grace is new every day. Not so you can keep on sinning. But so you can once again step into freedom.
4. God’s Grace Adopts Us Into His Family
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3
Throughout the Bible you see God call his followers his children. Apostle Paul says we were adopted into God’s family (Romans 8:15). God has shown his incredible love for us by bringing us into his family.
Think of the implications of that. To be a child of God. The one who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present is your Father.
If we can keep our focus on this, how we live our lives will change. God cares about us and is guiding us. We need not worry. We are his children and he loves us.
God’s grace brings us into his family; we are God’s children, heirs to the throne.
5. God’s Grace Brings Us Closer To Our Father
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Many view God’s grace as a “get out of hell free” card or access to eternal life. But that misses the point. God’s desire isn’t to just spare you from pain. It’s to reunite you with him. He wants the relationship that sin severed to be restored.
The forgiveness of sins allows this to happen. It doesn’t just save us from hell, it reunites us with our heavenly Father.
Grace allows us to come back. Sin cast us away. It created a chasm that kept us apart. Grace is the bridge that allows us to come back to the other side. It mends the wounds that sin caused. It forgives the mistakes that we made. Grace brings us back to the Father.
6. God’s Grace Allows Us To Live In Freedom
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14
We think freedom is doing whatever we want to do when we want to do it. That might appear to be freedom. But that kind of life doesn’t set you free, it enslaves you. Grace frees us and allows us to live as God intended.
When people look at the “rules” God gives his children, many scoff. Any good parent gives their children rules. Not to hamper their fun or restrain their freedom. But to keep them safe and allow them to fully experience life.
Guardrails on the side of the road are there to protect you from the dangers of careening off the road. The Holy Spirit gives us guardrails to keep us on the path of freedom. Freedom isn’t the ability to do whatever you want. Freedom is living as God designed.
God’s grace frees us from the shackles of sin and allows us to live in freedom.
7. God’s Grace Is Open To All
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. Titus 2:11
Followers of Jesus are often stingy with grace. But God is not, he gives it to anyone and everyone that wants it. That’s why songs like “Amazing Grace” exist because it extends to even the worst of sinners.
Every single human being on this planet is loved by God and has the offer of grace extended to them. All they have to do is accept it.
Sadly this message is lost on the world because the church is much more selective with grace than Jesus was. Only those “deserving” should receive grace. The problem is not one person is deserving of what Christ Jesus did. Not one. We are all terribly broken and in need of grace.
Therefore, we should show grace generously because we’ve been given grace generously. God’s grace is for EVERYONE.
BA in Biblical Studies - Ozark Christian College (2012)
MA in Theology - Regent University (2019)
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