WHAT IS GOD'S GRACE?

Ephesians 2:8 says, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God." We often hear the word "grace" mentioned in sermons and Bible teachings, but what does it really mean? We need to understand this word because it is by God's grace that we are saved from our sins and the judgment of God, and we received God's grace when we believed in the Lord Jesus. We need to understand what the Greek word of grace means because it is the original language of the New Testament Bible. The Greek word of grace is charis, which means the divine favor of God. It indicates the free and unconditional giving of His blessing. It is very important to emphasize that God's grace or giving of His favor or blessings is completely free and has no conditions. It means that we cannot earn it with anything that we have or our good works. It can only be received by faith in the Lord Jesus. 

God saved us by giving us His divine favor or blessing when we believed in the Lord Jesus; as a result, our salvation is free to us. We do not need to work for our salvation, and there are no conditions that we need to meet. We can believe in our Lord Jesus just as we are. We do not need to prove that we are good people. God already knows that we are sinners and our hearts and minds are not perfect. We are prone to sin, and we cannot save ourselves from our sins. We are good today, but tomorrow we may sin in our thoughts, words, and actions. God knows that we need His grace in order for us to be forgiven of our sins. Ephesians 2:9 says, "Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." Since we cannot work to receive our salvation and forgiveness, we can only receive it by giving to us free without conditions, and by God giving us our salvation freely and without conditions, it is completely by His grace that we are saved. 

There is no salvation and forgiveness of sin without the grace or the giving of God's favor. We can only receive God's grace through our faith in our Lord Jesus. Tomorrow, we will discuss why we need to believe in Jesus in order for us to receive His grace. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What is God's grace? Can I be saved without the grace of God? How can I receive God's grace?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for your grace. I am saved and forgiven because of your grace, and I acknowledge that I can only receive your grace through faith in my Lord Jesus, and not on anything that I can give or do. Please continue to help me understand your grace that I will appreciate you more and continue to grow in my relationship with you. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.