Grace

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus . . . . ”

Romans 3:20-24 ESV

According to the Word of God, grace is the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in our lives. The Old Testament word for grace is Khane (Strong’s 2580) meaning graciousness (kindness, favor), pleasant, precious. In the New Testament the word used is Kharece (khar’-ece/Strong’s 5485) meaning benefit, favor, gift, gracious, joy or pleasure.

Grace is commonly defined as unmerited favor or a free unconditional granting of God’s blessings. God gives us grace to save us, set us free from the bondage of sin, and make us whole. Grace gives us provision, protection, peace, joy, health, and wealth. God gives us the best definition of grace in John 3:16 KJV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Grace loves…. freely gives….and is unselfish. I’m reminded of a mnemonic used to explain grace as Gods Riches At Christ Expense! This is very fitting to describe how Jesus gave Himself so that we can be called the children of God. Under the old covenant, we were governed by the “law” but now we are “under” the law of grace. Gods’ grace not only has the power to save us but is also the same power that keeps us in His will and supplies us with the strength to do the work of God (I Corinthians 15:10).

Understanding the gift of grace that God has given us changes our perspective on life itself. God, we pray that you will show us how your grace has changed us and we pray that you will empower us to do the things you have purposed us to do. Let’s look at some biblical examples of grace in action:

This first example of grace is found in the story of Jonah. Jonah is identified as the son of the prophet Amittai (2Kings 14:25/Jonah 1:1). Jonah is best known for the book bearing his name. We read in this book how Jonah attempted to run away from Gods call that instructed him to announce Gods judgment against the people of Nineveh. Jonah made a conscious decision to go in the opposite direction because he was not fond of the people of Nineveh. He knew that God would be gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness (Jonah 4:2)