UNDERSTANDING GOD’S GRACE (2)
Grace is God’s provision and love through Christ Jesus, this has been given
to believers by the Holy Spirit, work out mercy, forgiveness, and the desire and power to do God’s will (John 3:16; 1Cor 15:10; Phil 2:13; 1 Tim 1:15-16). The whole life of a Christian from beginning to end is dependent on this grace.
It is an unmerited favour, an act of mercy from God to deliver a fallen man.
(1) God provides a measure of grace as a gift (1 Cor 1:4) to unbelievers so that they may be able to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be set free from bondage of sin (Eph 2:8-9; Tit 2:11; 3:4)
(2) God provides grace to believers to be “set free from sin” (Rom 6:20,22), “to will and to act according to his good purpose” (P hp 2: 13; cf. Tit 2:11-12), to pray (Zec 12:10), to grow in Christ ( 2 Pet 3:18) and to witness for Christ (Ac 4:33; 11:23).
(3) This grace is available for all freely and it empowers men for God’s service (Ps 84:11, Acts 11:23; 13:43; 1 Cor 3:10, 15:10).
(4) The grace of God will also enable men to live and lead a simple life (2Cor 1:12)
Resistance of God’s grace · There are many
people who resist God’s grace (Heb 12:15),
· many receive God’s grace in vain (2 Cor 6:1),
· some people set it aside (Gal 2:21)
· Most believers abandon God’s grace meant for them (Gal 5:4).
All these sets of people render God’s grace ineffective in their lives as they continue in sin and heart hardened in their state of unbelief.
Whosoever that humbles himself and believes in Christ will benefit from God’s grace (1 Peter 5:5).
If we want to receive God’s grace always and we want it to benefit our lives, we must diligently desire and seek for it (Heb 4:16).