Perspectives of Grace
Whenever we scrutinize the grace of God, we should approach it from two perspectives: our side and the Lord’s side.
Similarly, we should investigate how people enjoy it before and after the birth of Jesus Christ.
Subsequently, when we discuss grace, we shall explore it from the point of view of the recipient and that of the giver.
Nevertheless, to ensure that we are all discussing the same topic, let’s explain the nature of God’s grace.
What Is The Grace of God?
I have been exposed to many definitions for the grace of God but they are all homogenous in nature.
The most popular ones define it as God’s unmerited favor. That’s the most dominant definition of God’s grace that you will find on or offline!
Nevertheless, this is an opinion for no scriptures support this.
On the one hand, let’s investigate it from our point of view, the receiver of grace, but according to the Bible.
So, let’s go way back to Noah, Moses, and Moses and Israel respectively!
Examples of The Grace of God In The Bible
Here are three biblical examples of this:
- “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). In the case of Noah, he was the only person on the entire earth who found grace in the eyes of God (Genesis 6:1-8). Nobody else! Observe also, that the popular definition of grace, that is, “unmerited favor”, wouldn’t make sense in Noah’s case.
- Next, let’s consider Moses’ petition to the Lord. He enquires of the Lord, “Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people,” (Exodus 33:13). He desired to know from God whether he found grace in His eyes. But to know this, he requires that the Lord do some action, mainly, show him His way. Take note, that in this case, similar to Noah’s, grace as unmerited favor makes no sense here!
- Finally, let’s see the case of Israel with Moses together! He says Lord this is how I and the nation of Israel will know that we find favor in your eyes, go with us. The Bible says, “For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? [I]s it not in that thou goest with us? [S]o shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth” (Exodus 33:16).
God’s Grace For You!
In each of the cases above, an individual or a nation couldn’t recognize that he or they, respectively, had the grace of God.
To be cognizant of that each requires that the Lord God do some action to verify to them that they had His grace.
For example, Gideon asked Him to wet the fleece and not the ground and the ground and not the fleece respectively; then, he would recognize that he had God’s grace (Judges 6:34-40).
What’s an Apt Synonym For The Grace of God?
In each of these instances, you will observe that “grace” is synonymous with favor.
This is the trend in the Bible, this is how humanity knows that they found favor in the eyes of God.
He does some act, which reveals His grace towards us.
On the other hand, let’s examine the grace of God from the point of view of the giver of it, the Lord!
In the Old Testament (OT), to be a beneficiary of God’s grace one had to find favor in the eyes of the Lord.
This was how Noah, Moses, and David enjoyed God’s grace.
This was an individual experience. Noah didn’t find grace in the eyes of the Lord for others.
He found it for himself.
Then, He would do some action to demonstrate that the person or people in question would know that they had favor with Him.
God’s Grace In The NT
For example, he made the fleece wet so that Gideon would recognize that he found grace with Him.
So, they had to find grace in the sight of the Lord to benefit from it.
Therefore, grace didn’t come to them. They only were aware of it. And on an individual basis.
But in the New Testament (NT) the Lord changed that, for, He sent grace to us, to all humanity!
Each of us comes face to face with grace when we are presented with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Before, the birth of Jesus Christ the Lord would do some act for humanity to realize that they have favor with Him.
But in the NT he sent His Son and he brought the grace of God to all of us.
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
It came to us through Jesus Christ.
Additionally, now we don’t need to individually ascertain from God whether we find grace in His eyes because God’s grace is on Jesus Christ.
Therefore, if we accept him we automatically have and will experience the grace of God.
Does Everyone Benefit From God’s Grace?
The grace of God is available to everyone! Yet, everyone doesn’t access it!
Because to benefit from God’s gift to the world we must accept His only Begotten Son whom He sent to us!
“But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”
Romans 5:15
Jesus is God’s gift of grace to us. If we reject His gift that He sent to us, how could we benefit from it?
“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:7
How Do I Receive God’s Grace?
When we receive Jesus Christ as the Son of God we receive and enjoy the grace of God.
In the OT a man could only enjoy this if God saw him as pleasing in His sight.
But in the NT the Grace of God doesn’t come to us individually but globally or corporately. He comes to the world.
For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to bring His grace to us.
God’s grace could only get to us via Jesus Christ!
Jesus And The Grace of God
God’s grace was upon Jesus Christ even from he was a youngster.
Doctor Luke tells us about this.
He says:
“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”
Luke 2:40
So, as a person residing on the earth, the grace of God was on him.
On the other hand, as the Only Begotten Son of God, he was God’s grace to humanity.
Conclusion
What is the definition of grace? It’s the favor of God that He gives to humanity through acceptance of His only begotten Son.
It comes to us when we believe in Jesus as the Son of God.
In the OT each person needed the Lord God to perform some action to confirm that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
On the other hand, in the NT the Lord changed that. He removed the need for individuals to inquire if he enjoyed grace from God.
The Lord sent His Only Begotten Son, the Lord’s gift of grace to us, and once we accept him as such and believe in him we automatically enjoy the grace of God!
Why Do We Need The Grace of God?
To live out our full quota of allocated days and be successful in all that we do!
When “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” is with you, you will never fail. You will never be harmed for the favor and kindness of God are on you.” (Philippians 4:23).
We need the grace of God for every day we contend with the snares of death and the Devil. Their sole purpose is to kill us.
God’s grace saves and rescues us from them!
This was the reason the apostles of the early church were so effective in all that they undertook!
In closing, have you accepted him yet? Have you believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
