In the book of Romans, it is written: “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. This passage highlights the concept that as lawlessness and sinfulness become more prevalent, divine grace and mercy will also multiply. It’s a reminder that even in the face of darkness, there is abundant grace available to those who seek it. This profound truth encourages us to strive for righteousness, knowing that God’s grace surpasses our failings. Romans 5:20 “The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more. So, let us choose goodness, for where sin multiplies, grace (God’s power) abounds (overtakes the darkness). What an amazing description of a former time, as well as the present time that we are currently living in.
I was having a conversation with a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago, and the topic of current world events and how things have gone crazy, and naturally the topic of “end times” came up. The above scripture was used to validate some of his points and concerns. A Christian response to this verse often tells me a lot about their concept and understanding of Grace. There seem to be two prevailing viewpoints in today’s Church. Either the Church is under attack, and we are losing ground; or the Devil is winning! Or we are a victorious Church on the move against these attacks, the schemes of Satan, and storming the gates of Hell (Matt 16:17-19) On the surface these two perspectives seem to be in direct opposition to each other, causing me to ask How can this be, when we all read the same scriptures? While there may be many reasons, could I submit there is a simple answer to this problem: It could simply be an “INCORRECT or INACCURATE” understanding of Grace and how it works or manifests in our lives.
So, what is grace? It seems like a simple question, but the answer has many different facets to it. But for today I want to focus on just two. This comes from an ongoing dialogue for years in the church. I see many struggles to understand one of the most misused words in the church today. We most often hear it defined as ‘unmerited favor’ or ‘getting what you don’t deserve,’ often being confused or intertwined with “MERCY.” We often understand it this way in the context of Eph 2:8 ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.’ While often “not understanding it in the context of verses like 2 Cor 12:9 ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Or 1 Cor 15:10 ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” Sadly, many look no further than a concordance, relying often on past teachings, or quite honestly never giving it a second thought. I hope that this teaching will cause you to take a deeper look, maybe even cause you to revisit or challenge previous positions that you have held regarding this subject. This is one of the reasons I love writing these articles!! Not only am I challenged, but this challenge is also issued to you the reader.
Putting the Pieces Together
I looked up all occurrences of grace in the Bible. There are 131 uses of grace in the Bible, with 124 in the New Testament, 86 of which are from the apostle Paul, which means two-thirds of all the uses of the word grace in the Bible are written by one author: Paul. No wonder he’s called “the apostle of grace.” I would highly suggest that you do your deep dive study of the 131, but I have chosen just a few.
Grace as Unmerited Favor
On the one hand, grace is called — an undeserved gift or favor.
Romans 3:24: “[We] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Grace is what inclines God to give gifts that are free and undeserved by sinners.
Romans 5:15: “If many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.” So, grace is that quality in God that produces free gifts for guilty sinners in salvation.
Romans 11:5–6: "At present there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer based on works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.” So, you can’t work to earn grace. It is free and undeserved.
Now, from my experience, that’s what most of us have in our minds when we say God is a God of grace, and that’s true and wonderful. Our eternal lives depend on it. None of us would be saved if grace were not undeserved favor and were not a quality in the character and heart of God. But if you operate only from this perspective, you are only using or accessing only one side of a valuable coin! Jesus died and sent His spirit so that we have unlimited access to so much more.
Grace is the Power for Living out the Supernatural (God’s will for your life)
We also have another group of passages, also written by Paul, where he describes grace with a different application or paradigm shift.
2 Corinthians 9:8: “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” Now, this seems to picture grace as a power or an influence for obedience.
2 Corinthians 12:9: Jesus says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (weakness is where God’s power takes over)
1 Corinthians 15:10: “By the grace (power) of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder [that was the effect of grace] than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace (power) of God that is with me.”
In all three of these texts — and they’re not the only ones — grace is not only a deposit, a glimpse, an access into the nature of God, it is an influence, a power, or an acting of God that works in us to change our capacities for work, suffering and obedience. It brings us into the realm of unlimited possibilities. There is a Steven Curtis Chapman song “His Strength Is Perfect” that brings me to tears every time I hear it, one because I love his music, but even deeper it always brings a convicting question. There is a verse in the song that says:
We can only know-the power that He holds when we truly see how deep our weakness goes. His strength in us begins when ours comes to an end.
This song was written during a time of great trial, but the conviction for me is that this should be our mindset on a more regular basis, not just in times of deep testing or heartache. Too often we lean on our own strength, biblical knowledge, or church experience to attempt to do God's will. Without the guidance, direction, and power of the Holy Spirit, our strength will always fail us. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that non-believers as well as believers recognize and are drawn to.
1 Corinthians 2:4-6 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Again, it is supernatural. The status quo no longer holds interest or intrigue in this crazy world.
Adjusting Our Beliefs
I once thought of grace only as a character trait, a disposition, a discipline that Jesus displayed showing the nature of God, which moved him to treat sinners better than they deserved. Hence, we were to do the same! Now, having seen all the texts, and scriptures that show so much more, I have broadened my understanding of grace to align with how the Bible truly uses the term. Eph 4:7 says But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. (as it is needed)
Now I say, “Well, it appears that the word grace in Paul’s use not only refers to God’s character trait, disposition, or discipline to treat people better than we deserve, but the word grace also refers to the action or the power or the influence, which produces real, practical victorious outcomes in people’s lives. Like being sufficient for good deeds or enduring the thorn in the flesh or working harder than everybody else, which Paul says about his apostolic work." Maybe even venturing into the unexplainable world of a Spirit-empowered Christian. This power is what “Transforms Lives for Christ.” While it is the power to be Christlike in dealing with others, it is also the supernatural power that gives you the strength and knowledge to completely fulfill God’s will for your life. Without it, you are just "shadowboxing" in the arena of your own strength and ability.
So, what is your response when you see things like this in the Bible? Do you adjust your heart and thinking, or do you say, “Oh, well that can’t be, because I’ve got this idea figured out in my head.” No, no, no. You fix the categories in your head and heart to align with the word of GOD. Now, that does not mean you have to give up that simple definition of undeserved favor. But that is just part of the definition, this favor overflows with a powerful, practical helpfulness from God in your daily life where you most need it. It’s free and it’s undeserved! Paul stated “I did not come to you with wise and persuasive words, but with the demonstration of the Spirit’s power. (Grace)
Draw Near with Confidence
So, let me end with one of my favorite verses that we all know and love and maybe have never thought about in this view of grace.
Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace. That we may find mercy and grace (power) in our time of need.”
This is a throne with the quality, the character, and the POWER to treat people better than they deserve. But then it says, “that we may receive mercy and find grace (or power) to help in time of need.” Christians that live only in the first half of this verse, and never venture into living out the second half of that same verse can never truly say “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Christ died so that we could live this life to the fullest. The fullness of Hebrews 4:16 should be a normal everyday occurrence, not an occasional anomaly.