What is Grace? Jesus!

 From Pastor Paul Ellis:

As C.S. Lewis famously observed, grace is the one thing that makes Christianity unique. Grace is what makes the new covenant new and the good news good news. But what is grace?

Do you know what it means?

I read a lot of grace books and I have found that very few define grace. They tell you what grace isn’t. Grace isn’t works. Grace isn’t law. Grace isn’t religion. But they don’t tell you what grace is.

Don’t you find it strange that we who have been apprehended by the grace of God don’t have good definitions of grace? It’s like being French and not being able to explain what it means to be French.

What is grace? What does grace mean to me?

What is the grace of God?

It is common to hear grace defined as the kindness of God, or his undeserved mercy or unmerited favor. These are fine definitions, but brief. Max Lucado said “Grace is God’s best idea.” Of all his works, it is his magnum opus. And a magnum opus deserves a magnum definition.

Since I have been writing about grace for some time, I thought it might be fun to put all my grace definitions in one place.

I am not claiming to have a handle on God’s amazing grace. Far from it. All I want to do is start a conversation. I hope you will weigh in with your own thoughts about God’s grace.

A biblical definition of grace

What is grace? Grace captures the goodwill, lovingkindness, and favor of God that is freely given to us so that we may partake in his divine life. Grace is God’s divine aid that supernaturally empowers you to be who he made you to be.

The Biblical noun for grace (charis) means favor or kindness, and is related to a word (chairo) which means to rejoice, be cheerful and well off. The grace of God leaves us cheerful and rejoicing. It leaves us better than it found us.

Grace is…

Grace is what the unconditional love of God looks like from our side. God is love and love that stoops is called grace. Grace is the love of God reaching down and gathering you in his arms.

Grace is God’s loving-kindness towards you. Grace is God blessing you with himself for no other reason than it pleases Him to do so.

Grace is the confident assurance that with God on your side, you can’t lose. Grace is his strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.

Grace is freedom from sin, guilt, and condemnation. Grace is freedom from the need to prove yourself. Grace is divine permission to be who God made you to be.

Grace is heaven’s cure for the world’s woes. Grace is the power of God that turns sinners into saints, haters into lovers, and orphans into sons.

Grace is being adopted into the family of God. Grace is realizing you are a dearly-loved child, the apple of your Father’s eye, and a co-heir with Christ.

Grace is God honoring us with his presence. Grace is God with us. Grace is the adventure of life shared with Christ.

Flavors of grace

Grace is favor, freedom, forgiveness and a million other blessings besides. Grace is God’s divine acceptance, his salvation and sanctification.

Grace is power, healing and prosperity. (What do you think the word blessing means?)

Grace is God blessing you for no other reason than he loves you. Grace is divine power to live abundantly in union with the One who loves you and calls you by name.

What does God's grace really mean?

Grace isn’t a doctrine, or bunch of rules for you to keep, and grace is not God’s lubricant for greasing the cogs of self-effort. Grace is a Person living his life through you. Living under grace is like being married, only more so.

In a word, grace is Jesus. Grace is not one of God’s blessings but all of them wrapped up together in the One who is full of grace. Grace is the Gift of all gifts from the Giver of all givers.

Those are some of my thoughts. I would love to hear yours. What does the grace of God mean to you? In the comments below, complete this statement: “Grace is…”

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I have given you my definitions of grace. In the Bonus Content that accompanies this article, I look at some outstanding definitions of grace provided by notable authors past and present.

I Don't Have to Care, Because He Does

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

It's amazing how many cares can occupy our lives, take up our time.

For the longest time, I was wrongly convinced that if I was worried about something, I had to do something about it, so that Daddy God would be able to operate in my life.

His presence in my life was tied to what I was thinking and feeling. This bondage was considerable.

It's been ten years now since I learned the fullness of the Gospel of Grace. It has been ten years of learning to see Jesus in the Word, rather than to look for myself or look for little tips on how I need to live my life in my own efforts.

The COVID-19 pandemic helped me to read more of God's Word, focus less on myself and the challenges, temptations, hardships which can so easily beset all of us.

God does not go away because we have cares, fears, and worries.

In fact, God wants us to cast out cares on Him.

Why?

Because He cares for us!

Sadly, throughout the Gospels, we find accounts from the Pharisees and even Jesus' disciples and followers, who were convinced that He did not care about them.

"And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men." (Matthew 22:16)

The religious leaders during Jesus' earthly ministry provoked Him in part by declaring to him (as though to flatter Him initially): "We know that you don't care about anyone."

That is wrong. People under law will inevitably believe wrong, thinking that Daddy God does not care about us, and that we have to care or ourselves!

Yet it wasn't just the religious leaders who doubted whether Jesus cared for other people/

Consider what His disciples shouted at Jesus during the great storm that broke out on the Sea of Galilee:

"And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:38)

They misunderstoood Jesus' peaceful sleep on the boat. It's not that Jesus did not care about them. In fact, His perfect peace, sound asleep in the back of the boat, should have served as a signal to the disciples that there was nothing to worry about!

When the Prince of Peace is in your ship, you need not worry about anyone rocking your boat!

How sad it must have been for Jesus, God in the flesh, the Savior of the World, to hear His own disciples say to Him; "Don't you care that we are about to die?!"

Of course He cares! 

And yet, despite their lack of faith, Jesus stilled the storm and ushered in a mega calm. He does't stop caring for you just because you are worrying! That was wrong believing that I struggled with on my part for so long!

And see how Martha treated Jesus when she was so busy with serving, trying to earn His favor and His attention:

"But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me." (Luke 10:40)

Martha rebuked Jesus in front of her own sister--and very likely, others. How awful!

Yet Jesus chided her gently, and reminded her:

"41And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42)

Yes, Martha, He cares for you. You don't have to be careful or troubled about anything. Just do the one thing: Let Jesus care for you.

That invitation holds true for me as much as for anyone else.

If I am worried about something or someone, a potential event or mishap in the future, that is not something that I have to deal with. This is not a life that I am expected to live in my own strength!

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

and

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:4)

I don't have to care, because Jesus is caring for me. Amen!

No More "Back and Forth": Rest in Your New Life in Christ

Getting saved is as easy as believing:

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6:29)

and

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)

The challenge for many Christians once they get saved is learning to recognize their new identity in Christ. It gets very easy for us to get caught up in the unnatural thoughts and feelings, i,e. the sinful tendencies in our flesh, the bad habits which we may think that we have to shake off in our own effort.

Consider what Paul the Apostle went through:

"18For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." (Romans 7:18)

and then

"21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:21-25)

Consider also what TrueLove.Is testimonial Jaime Wong shared about her struggle with pornography:

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Notice that challenge, this "back and forth" that Paul writes about, that Jaime describes as she was able to break free of her addiction.

What is the solution? Our efforts? Our willpower?

NO! It is Jesus!

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36)

and

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," (Romans 8:1, NIV)

It is so important for us as children of God to know who we are in Christ:

"Herein is love perfected among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

We are not trying to overcome sin. Sin has been condemned in the flesh already! 

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" (Romans 8:3)

and

"20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2:20-21)

Let's stop trying to overcome what we do not like in our flesh. Let us recognize that we are dead to sin and aive in Christ (Romans 6:11)

Let us let Him rest us:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)