The Case For God's Grace

THE CASE FOR GOD'S GRACE

What is the grace of God, and is it relevant today? Can a case for God's grace be made

today? If so, what is the evidence for God's grace in modern society?

I EVIDENCE THROUGH THE DEFINITION OF GOD'S GRACE:

God's grace is a gift to us through Jesus Christ, resulting in salvation from sin and

eternal life. Grace is different from mercy. Mercy means to withhold from us the

punishment we deserve, while grace is giving us the forgiveness we do not deserve.

Both mercy and grace are the results of God's love in that they are like two sides of the

same coin. Some other definitions of grace are "love that cares and stoops and

rescues." (John Stott) and "grace is God reaching downward to people who are in

rebellion against him." (Jerry Bridges) Ephesians 2:8,9 says we have nothing to boast of

since the faith to receive God's grace comes from God himself.

a.All have sinned and are justified by God's grace. Romans 3: 8,9

b.Grace leads to eternal life through Jesus Christ. Romans 5:21

II EVIDENCE THROUGH THE NECESSITY OF GOD'S GRACE

In Romans 5:12-19, Paul gives the reasons we need God's grace. These are the key

verses on the necessity of God's grace in the entire Bible. We need God's grace because

of sin, and sin came into the world through Adam who disobeyed God's command. This

disobedience caused sin, and this sin and death were inherited by all human kind,

although they had not sinned in the same way Adam did. God solved the sin problem by

sending Jesus Christ as a type of second Adam who took upon him all sin by dying on

the cross and by granting eternal life to all who accept the gift of God's grace. Sin and

death came through Adam, but forgiveness of sin and eternal life came through Christ,

which was far better than sin and death through Adam. We need God's grace to escape

the penalty of sin, resulting in death, and to receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life

through Christ. However, a person who wants to find fault in this evidence for God's

grace will say that it depends on the belief in a historical Adam, which is difficult to

believe in this day of science and evolutionary thought. Recently, a book came out which

made a scientific case for the possibility of the origins of Adam and Eve alongside

evolution.(December 2019) This book was written by a scientist named S Joshua

Swamidaas and explains how it is possible for Adam and Eve to be "rightly identified as

the ancestors of everyone." This book is acclaimed even in the scientific world of

"opening possibilities for understanding Adam and Eve consistent with the current

scientific consensus and with traditional readings of scripture."

However, despite any new findings and research as to the possibility of a real Adam and

Eve, those who deny their validity are not left off the hook, considering that death has

been around since the beginning of time and sin is rooted in our instinct by nature.

All of us have sinned and come short of God's intention for us. The grace of God is a

necessity. Other verses for the evidence for the necessity of God's grace:

a.Grace of God offers salvation to all. Titus 2:11,12

b.Let no one fail to obtain the grace of God. Hebrews 12:15

c.We are no longer under law, but grace. Romans 6:15

III EVIDENCE THROUGH THE GREATNESS OF GOD'S GRACE: .

In verse 15 of Romans 5, Paul says that because of Adam's sin all have died spiritually

and eventually physically. However, God's grace is much more powerful than spiritual or

physical death. Grace is much greater than all our sins. God's grace and mercy have no

bounds. Consider a person who has lived a sinful life for most of his days. Once he

accepts Christ, all of his sins are forgiven. When a person works an eight hour day and

receives pay for his time, that is a wage. When a person completes and receives a

trophy, that is a prize. When a person receives recognition for years of service, that is an

award. When a person has done none of these, but still gets a gift, that is grace.

I communicated with a lady on my email ministry who insisted that she had committed

the unpardonable sin. I had a difficult time convincing her that God's grace covers all her

sin. The hymn writer lifted up God's grace when she wrote "grace, grace, God's grace,

grace that will pardon and cleanse within. God's grace, grace that is greater than all our

sins."

a.Grace that overflows. 1 Timothy 1:14

b.From his fullness we have received grace upon grace. John 1:16