Understanding Grace

Understand Grace

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.

OPENING:- Many in the world today, Christian as well as Non-Christian fall short of understanding Grace and what it really is. The common understanding or rather misunderstanding of grace is founded upon an unbiblical view of grace that comes out of some seminaries and so-called theological schools.

Although Grace may be called the unmerited favor of God and that is true but understand a child of God is entitled to more John 10:10 says “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. Understand abundant grace comes out of the love of God’s Heart. The Bible describes love in several ways, but I like this scripture 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 which says “Charity suffereth long, is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away”. This is God’s description of love, and because God is love 1 John 4:8, this is what He is like and therefore what grace is.

PRAYER:

One of the best-known definitions of grace is only three words: God's unmerited favor. I’ve heard grace defined as God’s unmerited favor, and that’s absolutely true. But it is so much more. Grace is favor bestowed on sinners who deserve wrath. Showing kindness to a stranger is unmerited favor; doing good to one's enemies is more the spirit of grace Luke 6:27-36.

Someone once suggested an acronym: GRACE is God's Riches At Christ's Expense. That's not a bad way to characterize grace, it makes for good preaching but poor theology. I believe it was A.W. Tozer who said “Grace is the unmerited operation of God in the heart of man, imparted through the Holy Ghost”.

Grace is the power God places in us that enables us to defeat sin, to overcome the world, to stand and having all to stand, to fight the enemy and be victorious. It is grace that causes us to have peace that passeth all understanding. Sometimes with our own strength and abilities we can do the possible, but God’s grace empowers us to do the impossible.

Understand God is not waiting to give us His grace; He’s already done that. He is just waiting for us to receive it! John1:17 says, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”.

Many people live as if grace is a God given get out of jail or do whatever I want to do pass with no strings attached, open ended privilege that allows a person to separate themselves from any moral and spiritual obligations. However, the truth is that grace according to Titus 2:12 “Teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age". Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires. Grace causes us to reject everything that displeases God.

It is grace that saves us Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”.

Grace is not a dormant quality, but a dynamic, active, working principle: It is not some kind of blessing that lies around waiting for us to use it. Grace is God's sovereign initiative to sinners Ephesians 1:5-6 says “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.

To us praise of the glory of his grace, through which he hath made us accepted in the Beloved”.

Grace is not a onetime event that we experience only at the moment of salvation but we stand continually and rejoice in this grace. Romans 5:1-2 says “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, By whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God”.

Our entire Christian life is empowered by grace. Hebrews 13:9 says “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein”.

2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work”. This does not mean that we all will become rich as the prosperity gospel pushes. It means that what we have will be sufficient for what we need. It means that we will have enough in a way that we are thankful for what we have, and we will not need to rely on others to provide for us.