Grace is something that’s often talked about but seldom fully understood. The world sees it simply as a five-letter word; however, its true meaning and implications for us can be found only through Jesus Christ. Jesus is grace personified, but because the world knows nothing of Him, it has no understanding of grace. As believers, we need an understanding of what grace is and what it is not.

When God sent Jesus, He didn’t send Him to condemn the world but to save it. Jesus demonstrated God’s love and forgiveness but also held people accountable for their actions. Grace is God’s undeserved, unearned favor; however, it is not a license to sin. Its purpose has always been to move us toward holiness.

Grace overpowers sin; where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. We’re therefore to continue in sin no longer. Getting born again makes us dead to sin and alive to Christ. When we’re alive to Him, we’re in a position to receive life, and receive it in abundance until it overflows.  

The Law of Moses required the people to work hard to earn their righteousness, though we know it can never be earned through self-effort. Grace frees us from this type of bondage and reveals that salvation is now a gift received through faith in Christ. It calls us to live in freedom but cautions us not to use that freedom to satisfy our own selfish interests.

Neither is grace an excuse to be lazy. Although Jesus rescued us from our own efforts, we still have work to do. Genuinely believing that faith in Jesus’ finished works positions us to receive God’s best gives us rest for our souls, but the enemy doesn’t want us to believe this. Therefore we must labor to enter into the rest, and resist his attempts to push us out of it.

We don’t deserve God’s approval. We never will. However, we’ll always receive it when we trust in Jesus.  

Prayer:

God, despite our flaws and shortcomings, You’re willing to accept us unconditionally when we accept Your Son. Your undeserved favor teaches us how to live and offers us forgiveness every time we sin. Thank You for that. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures:

John 3:17

Romans 5:20

Romans 6:1, 2, 7-11

John 10:10, AMPC

Galatians 5:13, NLT   

Hebrews 4:11

For more on how accepting Jesus equates to receiving God’s grace, click on the link to find the three-message series The Face of Grace, in our eStore.