A basic definition of grace is “receiving what you don’t deserve” or “receiving more than you deserve.”  It’s by God’s grace that He bestows every good and perfect gift upon His children.  Those gifts include things like forgiveness (Eph. 1:7), salvation (Eph. 2:8-9), mercy and help in times of trouble (Heb. 4:16), training to renounce ungodliness (Titus 2:11-12), freedom from sin (Rom. 6:14). 

What is God’s grace?

In his teaching on God’s attributes, Steven Lawson identifies several characteristics of God’s grace:

God’s grace is free.

Grace has been defined as God’s unmerited favor.  Through grace, God blesses those who don’t deserve it and can’t pay for it or earn it.  It’s a free gift.  If we did deserve it, or if we could earn it, then it would no longer be grace, as we read in Romans 11:6, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.”

 God’s grace is eternal.

God chose from eternity past those to whom He would give grace.  He decided before the world began those whom He would love and grant mercy and forgiveness.  2 Tim. 1:9 says that God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

God’s grace is sovereign.

God sovereignly chooses to bestow grace upon some but not on others.  Because grace is not owed, He can give it or withhold it as He sees fit.  We read in Eph. 1:4-6, “He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”  The purpose of God’s choosing some for salvation is that He will receive praise for His grace.

God’s grace is far-reaching.

God’s grace is not limited to those of a certain race or from a certain place.  He gives grace to all kinds of people.  Titus 2:11 says that God’s grace appeared, bringing salvation to all people.  Some might use this verse to argue for universalism, which is the belief that God will save everybody.  However, that is not what the word “all” in this verse means.  It does not mean all, without exception, which would include everyone that has ever lived.  Instead, it means all, without distinction, meaning that all kinds of people are included.  God doesn’t discriminate based on age, gender, race, etc.

God’s grace is mediated.

All of God’s grace is given through Christ alone.  He is the means by which people receive God’s grace.  Lawson describes Jesus as the pipeline through which oceans of grace are delivered to us.  Romans 5:17 says, “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”  

I do want to make a distinction here between what we call God’s common grace and His saving grace.  God’s common grace is anything that God does for mankind that they don’t deserve.  God gives gifts to unbelievers.  He allows them to live and work and have families and so on.  But those gifts do not lead to salvation.  The gifts of forgiveness, mercy, redemption, salvation, etc. are part of God’s saving grace and are only given to those that He has chosen.  God is gracious to everyone, but in different ways.

Implications of God’s Grace

We should live lives of joy and thanksgiving.

Christians are so richly blessed through Christ.  We, of all people, have no excuse for being depressed or discontent.  When we think of all that God has given, both materially and spiritually, we shouldn’t be able to stop praising Him!

We should be generous in blessing others.

Because we have been blessed so richly, we must be willing to share our blessings with others.  There is no room for stinginess or selfishness in the Christian life.  All we have is a gift from God, and we must be willing to use it to help others.

The information in this post was based on the following resources:

In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin

The Attributes of God by Arthur W. Pink

The Attributes of God DVD by Steven Lawson

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.