The Grace of God

Ephesians 1:3-8 

How do you define grace?  Webster’s dictionary defines grace as “unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification.”  Commonly we say that grace is “unmerited favor.”  We know that we are saved by grace, through faith, and grace is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).  Grace is not something any one of us can earn or purchase; it must be freely given.  Paul tells us a great deal about grace in Ephesians chapter one.  Let us consider what the apostle says.

It is by God’s grace that Christians were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him (Eph. 1:4).  Before God created man, even before He spoke the world into existence, He worked out a plan by which sinful man could be redeemed.  God knew we would sin.  And He knew that once we were tarnished by sin the only way we could be cleansed is by the blood of Christ (verse seven).  By His grace he provided our means of redemption.

Notice too that God’s grace is “freely bestowed on us” (verse 6).  One analogy is that we owe a debt that can never be paid but God has forgiven that debt--it is as if it never existed.  But His grace does even more than this.  Paul says that God has “predestined us to adoptions as sons.”  Imagine being a servant working to pay off a great debt that could never be paid.  Instead of simply forgiving the debt you are raised to the status of an heir.  Not only does God’s grace do for us what is needed, it elevates us to a status much better than we could ever attain without it.

Finally, verse eight tells us that grace was “lavished on us.”  Not only is God’s grace free it is abundant.  He has supplied more than we will ever need.  There is no danger of using it all up.  But this is not a license to sin.  Romans 6:1-2 warns against this attitude, “What shall we say; then?  Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?  May it never be!  How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

Oh!  How marvelous the grace of God!  Sufficient to do for us what we can never do.  Given freely to us when we could never earn it.  Abundantly supplied to cove all sin.  We have much to be thankful for.  Let us rejoice in the grace of God!

Love,

Thomas Sneed 

Pond Church of Christ