The definition of grace—what is it?

from the old testament

• God graciously offers a cleansing from sin (Isaiah 1:18)
• God gave grace to the Israelites in the wilderness (Jeremiah 31:2).
• God promised to pour out grace upon all Israel (Zechariah 12:10).

from the new testament

• Jesus, full of grace and truth, came into the world to save us from our sins and to reveal God to us (John 1:14).
• The gospel message is hinged on God's grace (Acts 20:24).
• Jesus Christ is the embodiment of grace and truth who gives us the hope of our salvation (John 1:14).
• Without grace we are unable to be righteous (Romans 3:10) and have no way to justify ourselves (Romans 3:20).
• None of us deserve God’s grace (Romans 3:23).
• All of us deserve death and eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).
• Romans 5:15 tells us that a gift is free to the recipient. 2 Corinthians 8:9 tells us that a gift is generous and voluntary.• Recipients of a gift become the owners of it (2 Corinthians 6:1).
• We are saved by the unmerited grace of God, not by our actions, merit, or qualities (Ephesians 2:8-9).
• Grace means that nothing is owed in return (Ephesians 4:7).
• Second Thessalonians 2:16 tells us that "… God our Father, … loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace."
• The Bible emphasizes again and again that we do not have to count on our works to receive grace—either to earn salvation or to maintain it (Romans 4:4; 11:5–6; 2 Timothy 1:9–10).
• By God’s grace, we are given victory over sin (James 4:6).

implications for today

To appreciate the gift, we should understand what it cost the person and what the gift means. We can and should do the same with the grace of our salvation. Without Christ, we lived in sin (Psalm 51:5) and were unable to uphold God's holy laws (Romans 3:9–20; 1 John 1:8–10). We deserved death because of our sin (Romans 6:23a), and we were alienated from God in our minds and hearts (Romans 5:6, 10; 8:7; Colossians 1:21). Before knowing God's grace, our spirits were unclean, and we were destined to be alienated from God forever. But God, in His great mercy and love, showed us His grace so we could be clean, alive, and forgiven. He gave His life so we could be made alive and have a relationship with Him, restoring what sin destroyed. Jesus paid for our inability to receive grace with His own life.Grace is not a one-time occurrence and does not stop once we are saved. Salvation and God's favor are only a part of what we gain when we receive God's grace. We receive justification before a holy God (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:7; Titus 3:7). Grace provides us access to God to communicate with Him and fellowship with Him (Ephesians 1:5–6; Hebrews 4:16). Grace opens the door in our hearts for new levels of intimacy with God (Exodus 33:17), and it also disciplines us to live in a way that honors God (Titus 2:11–14; 2 Corinthians 8:1–7). We receive enormous spiritual riches (Proverbs 10:22; Ephesians 2:7), such as comfort, encouragement, and strength (2 Corinthians 13:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17; 2 Timothy 2:1). Grace helps us in our every need because God is continuously close to us (Hebrews 4:16), and it is the reason behind our very deliverance (Psalm 44:3–8; Hebrews 4:16). We can interact with grace (much like love and forgiveness) because it is actively and continually working in the lives of God's people. Grace is a continual reminder of God's love and work in our lives. As a result of the grace we have received, followers of Christ should be gracious with others with both our words and actions (1 Peter 4:10). As Ephesians 4:29 tells us: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”