For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift- not from works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 HCSB
Maybe if you are a bit older, like me, and grew up in church, you can remember singing about grace on Sunday morning. Older hymns were full of mentions of this incredible gift. Remember this one?
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.
You most likely will know this one:
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me…. I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see.
Maybe it is just me, but I just don’t see us singing about this most incredible gift of grace as much anymore. It is unfortunate as a proper understanding and realization of grace is essential to having a fulfilled Christian life.
What is grace? First, grace is not mercy. Mercy is an act of being spared from judgment. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve. Grace, on the other hand, is the freely given and unmerited favor and love of God. In a nutshell, grace is getting what you do not deserve. The best example of God’s grace is the gift of salvation, eternal life. We don’t deserve it, but he gives it to us freely. Through His death on the cross, Jesus ushered in a new era that was no longer about merely keeping a set of rules and “doing” things that made you good enough for but rather it was about receiving grace; accepting the forgiveness offered and beginning a new relationship with Him.
The best part is it is free. Jesus paid the ultimate price of death, on the cross, so that you didn’t have to. Even more than that, He paid the price and freely gives grace so that no one can ever boast or brag that they have done enough good to somehow earn their salvation. It is truly a gift and one only He can give. You can’t earn it because it is a gift, freely given. You can’t somehow buy it because the price has already been paid. If you want it, you must receive it. To receive it, you must place your faith and trust in Christ. Getting what you don’t deserve is normally thought of us a bad thing; with grace it’s a great thing.
Grace, like the old hymn says, is truly amazing. It can be one of, if not the most liberating thing you can ever experience. You don’t have to worry about being good enough, measuring up, or doing enough to earn your way into heaven. The truth is, none of us are good enough, none of us can ever hope to measure up to God’s standard, and none of us can ever do enough good things to earn our way into heaven on our own. Grace says that is ok, quit trying so hard and just accept the gift. Grace negates our imperfections and our pasts. Grace says that anyone can receive the gift of salvation because your past no longer matters. Grace frees us from thinking we are beyond help and beyond hope. You may not deserve grace, but you get it anyway. We must be careful not to cheapen this grace, however. Grace is not a license to do and live as we please. It might be a free gift but it most certainly cost the Giver. We should reflect this grace by living a life that honors the gift and the price paid.
Thank God for grace. Thank God you got what you don’t deserve.
