The Grace of God

Before I give us a working definition, I would like to just quote some key "grace" scriptures that will lead to our definition. Study each verse and see how grace is active in these verses:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10: "But Jesus said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

John 1:17: "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

Acts 6:8: "Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people."

Acts 15:11: "No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

Romans 1:5: "Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith."

Romans 3:24: "...and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

Romans 4:16: "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring-not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham..."

Romans 5:2: "...through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand..."

Romans 5:17: "...how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."

Romans 11:6: "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."

Romans 12:6: "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith."

Romans 16:20: "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."

1 Corinthians 1:4-7: "I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way-in all your speaking and in all your knowledge...Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift."

1 Corinthians 15:10: "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

2 Corinthians 1:12b: "We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace."

2 Corinthians 9:8: "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

Ephesians 1:6: "...to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."

Ephesians 2:8: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast."

Ephesians 3:7: "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power."

Ephesians 4:7: "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it."

2 Thessalonians 2:16: "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope..."

2 Timothy 1:9: "...who 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 2:1: "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

Titus 2:11: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."

1 Peter 4:10: "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."

1 Peter 5:10: "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

2 Peter 3:18: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

I hope you see that the word "grace" is not a general term that should be overlooked, but is vital to understand for our victorious Christian living. Each of these verses give an extra quality about grace that we should come to learn and understand. There is not a true condensed definition of "grace" that covers it in a sentence or two. Grace definitions: Grace is God's power freely given to us. Grace is God freely doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Grace is free and unearned working from God devoid of all human efforts. To distinguish grace from mercy: grace is God giving us what we do not deserve; mercy is God not giving or doing to us what we do deserve. Salvation is grace because salvation is God saving us when we could not earn or save ourselves by our own efforts or merits. God's wisdom is grace. Grace includes God's promises of blessings that we cannot achieve by our efforts. God's perfect peace is grace. God's righteousness is grace. God's healing, power to heal, and power to cast out demons and evil spirits are all God's grace. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are also grace.

We are to live our Christian lives by grace: that is, we are to live life not by our own efforts, but by the power that God freely gives us. The law is practically antithetical to grace. The law required us to work and achieve righteousness by our efforts of the flesh. In order to apply grace to our lives, it requires that we be still, and let God do His work in us. It requires that we humble ourselves, and not get in His way by our efforts. It requires that we not feed the flesh by choosing to sin, but rather, living by the power of the Holy Spirit. Grace is trusting that God can do it for you through faith. Grace is something Scripture tells us we have to grow or cultivate and mature in. A part of the definition of faith is trusting in God's grace upon your lives, that is, trusting that God will do for you and through you what He said He would in His Word. Grace provides us with the power to overcome temptations of sin by faith. Trust God and pray that He is able to get you through your temptation without sin through His power, and not your own. In all verses of “grace,” God is the one doing the action.