You are full of grace. Grace is the means through which we receive all good things from God. It’s defined as unmerited favor–unconditional love—not based on our imperfect and sinful performance, but on the character of the one giving the grace. It’s a lavishness from the giver to the recipient who is undeserving. Grace is favor, good will, kindness.
Ephesians 4:7: “to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 NASB
Examples of showing grace would be:
- forgiving someone who has sinned against you
- showing kindness to a stranger
- doing good to one’s enemies
A. W. Tozer says: “Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines Him to bestow benefits on the undeserving.”
“The free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him.” – Chuck Swindoll
When we get up on a high perch and talk down to people as if they were scum, that is the opposite of grace. Jesus doesn’t speak to us that way. Even if the you are right about the sin of another person, if you do not have humility and grace in delivering it to your fellow believer, they will be unable to hear you because they know that Christ doesn’t speak in a dehumanizing way to the people He loves. If someone is speaking to you this way, go ahead and show grace to them and don’t get angry and defensive. It’s possible that they are right about your sin, but now you have the responsibility to gently show them that lording it over someone doesn’t produce righteousness.
I see so many believers being harsh with each other instead of showing grace. Based on the lavish amount of grace we have been given by God, it seems like we ought to be able to show more grace to each other.
After all, grace is intrinsic in just about everything in the Christian life:
- Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved…”
- Hebrews 4:16 “Approach God’s throne of grace with confidence…”
- 1 Peter 4:10 “We are faithful stewards of God’s grace…”
- James 4:6 “But He gives more grace…” (to the humble)
- Romans 6:14 “For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
I think the key verse above is the one in James 4:6, where God says He will give grace to the humble. So if we humble ourselves before God, He will grant us grace. Then we, in turn, can extend that grace to others. You as a believer are full of grace, so exercise it!
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My daughter and I created the artwork for this series from the course {aff} “You are a Masterpiece” by Alicia Gratehouse. If you love to do art and are discovering who you are in Christ, this is a great art course for you!
Tags: Christian Living, grace, graciousness, Regaining Your Identity
My fav is “showing kindness to a stranger.” I love to do this and I strive very hard to do this daily. I love just love your post! You are so passionate and ful of JOY!!
Thank you. LOL
So thankful for God’s grace!!! Grace is often hard for us to grasp. To accept and to give, but God doesn’t struggle with it at all. Oh that we may be more like Jesus.
Yes! I need more grace in my life, to extend to the people around me. I can do that best when I have humility.
So many bible verses to remind us of God’s grace that He extends to us and that we have in Him to give others. Thank you!
Scripture is definitely full of references to grace!
I am so grateful for God’s great grace that He has lavishly poured out. Another meaning of grace is God’s enabling power. He has given us all things and the power to accomplish the task at hand! I have recently been pondering the verse saying Shout Grace to the mountain! And I have been using it in prayer with regard to “mountains” or obstacles in our lives – that God’s provision and power are present to either remove the mountain or cause me to walk over it! God’s love cannot be fathomed! Thanks for sharing.
Wow, I love that idea that God’s grace can help us move mountains or walk over them!
I had a very grumpy sales clerk today and so I made sure to thank her for her help. She turned red and I kind of laughed. I thought to myself that I wasn’t going to let rudeness make me anything less than gracious.
It sounds like you were a good testimony to her! Grace is always welcome in the lives of the people around us.
I always think of grace as life giving. Christ through His grace has given us life and by sharing this grace others may have life as well.
It looks like grace and life go hand-in-hand!
wow … Indeed grace is undeserving favor bestowed on our lives. When grace is poured out and we receive it’s fullness, then we cannot help but be humble …
Humility is the natural response to the outpouring of grace.
There definitely have been instances where I feel like there was no grace for me. I know all too well how that feels so I try not to do that to others. Specially another believer in Christ. We may be the first Bible some people read. Or the only Bible some people read…
I have also been the recipient of no grace, and it’s horrible. I want to extend grace to all around me!