The grace of God: what it is and what it is not
Grace is by no means a divine permission to continue sinning and living in a fleshly way, but on the contrary a power to live as God asks us, to follow Jesus Christ and walk as He walked.
Grace is not based on human performance; there is nothing man can do to have more grace because it is a gift of God, demonstrated and personified in Jesus Christ. Grace is what God has done for us, what we could never have done on our own.
Ephesians 2 : 8-9 « 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. » KJV
Grace is the totality of what God has accomplished in Christ and its application in our lives through the Holy Spirit. To find grace is to find favor with God.
A Christian should continue to grow in grace throughout his life; and there is a special grace for every area of his life.
The grace of God: the true message of the Gospel
The Word of God is also called “The Gospel of God’s grace” or “The Word of His grace”.
The theme of grace is central in the Gospel; it is even the word that summarizes the true message of the Gospel. But, paradoxically, it is a term that remains vague for many people, even among Christians.
God is the One who manifests grace. Present from the Old Testament, it unfolds fully in Jesus Christ in the New Testament, where the Greek word «Charis», which means grace, appears 150 times. This grace announced by the ancient prophets came to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. He was full of grace and only words of grace came out of His mouth.
John 1 : 17 «17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. » KJV
The third divine Person, the Holy Spirit, is also called the Spirit of grace.
Grace is absolutely necessary to accomplish God’s perfect will. We must:
Rest on it.
Draw our resources from it and
Grow in it.
Titus 2 : 11-12 « 11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. » KJV
