Listen:  154.8

Grace!  What a theme for us to consider.  Ephesians 2:8tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith…”  Romans 3:24says we are, “…justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”  The first mention of grace in the Bible is Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”  The last mention of grace in the Bible is the very last verse in the Bible.  Revelation 22:21says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” 

So, what exactly is grace?  The simplest definition is that grace is ‘God’s unmerited favor’.  This means that the Lord blesses without any deserved reason.  We cannot earn grace.  There is nothing we can do whereas the Lord owes us His grace.  It is completely unmerited, or undeserved.  I like to contrast ‘grace’ with ‘mercy’.  Simply put, ‘mercy’ is when the Lord does not give us what we deserve.  ‘Grace’ is when the Lord gives us what we do not deserve.  Hebrews 4:16instructs us, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”  We need both the Lord’s mercy and His grace. 

2 Corinthians 9:8speaks of the completeness of God’s grace towards those who put their faith in Him.  That says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”  What a grand and glorious truth!  God’s grace abounds towards us, and in return we are enabled to abound to every good work in our service to Him. 

Throughout eternity, we will ever be learning about the Lord’s grace towards us.  It is a theme that will never be exhausted.  Ephesians 2:7tells us, “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”  There is ‘saving grace’; there is ‘grace to live by’; there is ‘dying grace’ that gives us the serenity and strength to be confident in death.  I’m reminded of that old hymn that says:

Grace, grace, God’s grace

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within

Grace, grace, God’s grace

Grace that is greater than all our sin.

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:4, “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.”  May we be faithful to thank the Lord for His grace to us!  (154.8)