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“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” (John 1:16)
God’s grace is a constant and continuing throughout the Scriptures of the Bible. We see God’s abundant grace in the Old Testament and God’s grace further revealed by the birth of His Son Immanuel, Jesus, to the virgin mother Mary. We start to understand the meaning of the word grace by its translation from the Greek word “Charis” in the New Testament. There are four points to the meaning of charis in the Greek lexicon, but we will focus on the first point given for our purposes. Grace is goodwill, loving-kindness, and favor. It is 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 Christian virtues exercise.
We all can extend grace to others in most situations in life but not in all. There are situations in life that we would find difficult to show grace to others, and these situations vary in how people will react or accept them. The Christian’s idea is to conform to the image of Jesus and show His grace towards all. God’s grace is choosing to bless others rather than cursing them as they rightly deserve, particularly regarding sinful or wicked behavior. Grace is God’s benevolence to the undeserving, which would include all of us. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) We are to live in the precepts of God’s Law, which was given to Moses, but the truth is that no man can, and no man ever has except one, Jesus. “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
That is why every man and woman is in great need of God’s saving grace, which can be received through belief and faith in the Word of His Son Jesus. It is a free gift offered to all by the grace of God towards all. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) God’s grace came by Jesus but was made full by Jesus and the work of His earthly ministry.
The grace of God was shown in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve fell into sin by Satan’s temptation. Once they ate the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened to evil thoughts, and they realized that they had sinned against their Creator and were shamed. They covered themselves to hide the sins of their actions, but when confronted with God who knew what they had done, they were naked before Him. To cover God’s Word’s transgression, God killed an animal and used the skin to cover them and their shame. “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21)
God had warned them that the cost of their disobedience was death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) God could have killed the first couple and tried again to create man, but because of His grace towards them, He provided a way to redeem them. God would accept the death and blood of sacrifices to cover the sins of people. If they believed it is God’s Word that this act of faith would atone for their sin, they would be seen as righteous. “Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6) By God’s grace, those who trusted Him that their sacrifices would clean them they would be forgiven. It was the death of bulls and goats or their blood that cleansed them but their faith in God’s promise. “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4)
The Apostle Paul knew the power of God’s Grace in his ministry and opened three of his letters with these words, “To all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:7) God is the initiator of Grace, and it is from God that all grace comes from. God shows His mercy and grace to all, but these words do not hold the same meaning. Mercy is when God withholds the punishment that we deserve, and grace is a blessing from God that we do not deserve.
It is clear in Scripture that sin is punishable by death. (Romans 3:23) Through His grace, God chose to cancel our sin debt by the sacrifice of His Son in our place. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) This grace towards man is not based upon anything a man can do or what man has done. It is purely the blessing of God. “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.’” (Titius 3:5) By God’s grace, there is nothing that we must do to earn it but to accept His gift of salvation. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:10)
Therefore, by God’s Grace, He offers all men forgiveness, “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12) By grace, we are reconciled to God through the work of Jesus on the cross. “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:19-20) In the fullness of God’s Grace through His Son, Jesus, we can receive the abundant life, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) Have stored up for us in heaven eternal treasures, “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.” (Luke12:33) receive the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13) and a place with Him in the Kingdom of God. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)
No treasure on t earth is near or greater than the treasures that God has made available through His grace towards each one of us. God gives His best to each of us the least deserving.
Thomas N Kirkpatrick
First Baptist Church of Durant, July 20, 2018
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