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!
