a case study of god's grace

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Anger and God’s Grace: A Case Study

Journal of Biblical Counseling 14:3

In this article, an anonymous author describes first person testimonial from a man with an anger problem. He details two incidents, the turning point, how he was able to obey and what make the difference. He concludes with a discussion of present struggles and ongoing growth in the area of anger.

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Timothy Burt

Daily devotionals and inspiration to encourage your heart, “i caught it” a story of god’s grace.

Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

One morning, at my discipleship breakfast, one of the guys in my group told us a great story about an encounter with his young son. As I listened to this story, God spoke to my heart and believe He will speak to yours also. I thought I would share it with you!

The look on Logan’s face told the story when he saw the ball in his glove. I caught it! I caught it dad! Suddenly Logan took off into the house. Mom! Mom! he yelled searching for his mother. When he found her he said, I am playing catch with dad and I CAUGHT THE BALL! They high-fived each other and Logan ripped back outside to catch another. His dad was waiting and again with great precision, laced another one right into the center of Logan’s glove. Logan beamed and Lee enjoyed the joy of his son experiencing his great new accomplishment.

When Lee told me this story, I couldn’t help but think about all the times the Lord helps us with something in our life as Lee helped his son Logan. The Lord leads us to do something and then helps us accomplish it. It was really all God’s doing but we are quick to run off and tell someone how great our accomplishment was. He helps us because He loves us AND because He does not want us to get so discouraged that we give up and quit. And yet when He puts the ball in the center of our glove, we want to take credit for how great we are. We are funny that way.

Jesus really cut to the chase on this matter when He said in John 15:5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. FOR APART FROM ME, YOU CAN DO NOTHING.”

Like Logan, we receive our Heavenly Father’s help. He will help us do things that make us feel proud. It will feel good and it will make us want to tell someone. But let’s always give God the glory for His love and grace that puts the ball in the center of our glove .

2 Corinthians 1:12 (NLT) “… We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom…”

In His love, Pastor Tim Burt

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Thank you for the message, it has generously opened my eyes to see how God have been throwing the ball into my gloves and I had thought I was a good catch. I return all the glory to God.

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Scriptures on Grace: Exploring Divine Mercy in Holy Texts

January 20, 2024

Scriptures on Grace: Exploring Divine Mercy in Holy Texts - Beautiful Bible

Understanding Grace in Scripture

Grace is a foundational concept within the Christian faith, central to understanding God’s relationship with humanity.

This exploration reveals how grace, often seen as the unmerited favor of God, threads through the entirety of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation.

The Definition and Nature of Grace

The concept of grace is defined as the unearned, generous gift of God that brings about redemption and relationship with Him.

It’s intrinsic to His character, demonstrating unfailing love and kindness towards creation.

When you encounter grace in the Bible, it’s often presented as a transformative force that enables both reconciliation with God and empowerment for righteous living.

Grace in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, grace is evident from the onset. Genesis reveals a world crafted by God’s directive will, where His grace is displayed in the gift of life and providence.

In the story of Noah , we see grace woven into the fabric of human history; Genesis 6:8 states, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Here, grace is the divine inclination to spare and bless, even amidst judgment.

Grace in the New Testament

The New Testament illuminates grace further, especially in the person of Jesus Christ. John 1:14 speaks of Jesus in terms of grace, stating, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Additionally, John 1:16 affirms, “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” Books such as Acts , Romans , and Ephesians continue this theme, showcasing grace as vital for salvation and the Christian life.

The Manifestation of Grace Through Christ

As you explore the cornerstone tenets of the Christian faith, the essence of grace manifested through Jesus Christ is of paramount importance, encompassing His role in salvation and the hope found in the resurrection.

The Role of Jesus Christ as the Embodiment of Grace

Jesus Christ is central to the Christian understanding of grace.

In the gospel according to John 1:14 , it is written that “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory , the glory of the one and only Son , who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” This verse encapsulates how Jesus embodies grace, bringing it to a tangible understanding.

Salvation as a Gift of Grace

Your salvation is described in Ephesians 2:8 as “For by grace you have been saved through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” This passage emphasizes that salvation is not earned but given as a gift of grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is crucial for you to recognize that this gift is freely offered, representing hope and eternal life.

Grace and the Resurrection

The grace of Jesus is further exemplified through His resurrection, an event that signals both the victory over sin and the assurance of hope.

Consider Hebrews 2:9 , which states, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Through His resurrection, you are reminded of the power of grace to bring new life and defeat the permanence of death, making the hope of Christ’s followers living and active.

Living Under Grace

Scriptures on Grace: Exploring Divine Mercy in Holy Texts - Beautiful Bible - Biblical Questions

Living under grace fundamentally alters your standing before God, removing the dominance of sin and replacing it with a life enriched by divine favor.

As a Christian, this new way of life ensures that sin will not have dominion over you , as you are not under law, but under grace, as presented in Romans 6:14 .

Let’s explore how this transformative grace interacts with various aspects of your Christian walk.

Grace and the Christian Life

Your faith journey is underpinned by the understanding that grace is sufficient for all your needs.

You learn that it is through faith , and not by your own works, that you are saved and called to live—this is clearly expressed in Ephesians 2:8-9 .

As a result, your life becomes a reflection of the peace and mercy granted through this grace, empowering you to act in ways that please God and serve others.

Grace and Spiritual Gifts

In grace, there’s an abundance for each of you, as stated in Ephesians 4:7 , which highlights the measure of grace given to each person.

One of the beautiful expressions of this grace is through the spiritual gifts you possess. 1 Peter 4:10 encourages you to use these gifts to serve others.

Here’s how grace distributes gifts among the church:

Strength and Suffering in Grace

When faced with suffering, it’s important to remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:9 , which assure you that Christ’s power rests on you and His grace is sufficient.

This grace provides the strength to endure hardships and reveals God’s power in your weakest moments. Grace and strength are thus intertwined—grace becomes the source of strength that sustains you through life’s trials.

Grace and Christian Conduct

Grace fundamentally transforms your approach to ethics and community within the Christian life.

You’ll explore how grace informs your moral decisions and strengthens the bonds of fellowship.

Ethical Implications of Grace

Grace , rather than the law , should be the cornerstone of your ethical conduct .

Through grace, you recognize your own weakness and are empowered to act out of love and forgiveness . Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches that it is by grace you have been saved, and not by works, so that no one can boast.

Grace humbles you, replacing a proud attitude with a humble spirit.

Remember, James 4:6 states God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

This moves you to not just hear the law but to embody it in actions prompted by grace.

Grace in Relationships and Community

Within your relationships and community, grace teaches you to give generously, as you have received generously from God. Acts 15:11 emphasizes that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, highlighting a communal aspect rather than an individualistic stance.

In practicing grace , patterns of giving and forgiveness become reflections of divine love .

As Peter noted, this love covers a multitude of sins, which fosters unity and peace among believers.

Grace breaks down barriers, reaching out to the weak and proud alike, inviting them into a life free from the bonds of ungodliness , much like God’s grace saved Noah from the flood.

Difficult Questions About Grace

Exploring the complexities of grace within the Christian faith brings up pressing questions, particularly when pitted against concepts like law and the human condition.

In this section, you’ll navigate through the nuanced discussions around grace as it relates to law and its boundaries.

Grace vs. Law

Romans 6:14 declares, “ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. ” This scripture sets the stage for a fundamental tension in Christian theology: the relationship between grace and law.

You might ask how the unmerited favor of God (grace) interacts with the adherence to religious laws, commandments, and works.

It is important to recognize that grace does not nullify the law; rather, it fulfills it.

Grace empowers you to live righteously, not as a means to replace the law, but to triumph over sin where the law’s strength ends.

Law : Often seen as a set of rules or standards.
Grace : Freely given, unearned favor and love from God.

When considering Peter 1:2 , you find that grace is part of a sanctification process that involves the Spirit and is tied to obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ—highlighting the intricate balance between faith, works, and grace.

The Boundaries of Grace

Can grace be bound or limited? This is another challenging question you might encounter.

Going to Hebrews 4:16 , it urges you to “ approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, ” implying that grace is generously available.

However, this does not imply that grace is an excuse for continued trespass or sin.

Instead, James emphasizes that faith without works is dead, suggesting that grace must be met with a repentant heart and actions reflecting such change.

Understanding Romans 11:6 , “ But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace, ” helps in drawing the distinction between earning favor through works and receiving grace apart from works.

Grace is not something you can earn; you simply accept it through faith.

Sin/Trespass : Actions that go against divine law.
Repentance : To feel remorse or to turn away from sin .
Faith : Trust in God’s promises and His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.

In questioning the limits of grace, you are delving into how grace interacts with human actions—whether it is a license to sin or a calling to transform by truth and repentance, as part of spiritual growth.

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Bible Study About God’s Grace with Life Application

O ne of the most wonderful, yet least understood principles in the Bible is the wonderful gift of God’s grace . The gospel of grace is so simple that even a child can understand it when it is presented properly. In this Bible study about God’s grace we will see how Paul, being chosen by God to deliver the gospel of grace to the Gentiles, summed it up best in just a few verses as he addressed the Church at Corinth:

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

To understand God’s grace, we must go back in time to see how this mystery was revealed.

Old Testament – Before Grace

When God made man he put him in a beautiful place called the Garden of Eden:

Genesis 2:8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

God put man there to live and work and take care of the land. Then God gave man only one rule, He said: “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:16-17)

The man, whose name was Adam told this rule to his wife, Eve. They both knew they were not allowed to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or they would die. Then one day a serpent approached Eve and convinced her that God did not mean what He said. So Eve ate of the forbidden tree and then she gave the fruit to her husband, and he ate too. We see this recorded in Genesis 3:1-7

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

The penalty for doing what God told Adam and Eve not to do is recorded as follows:

Genesis 3:8-24 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

17 And to Adam he said,

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

We call this disobedience to God’s law (rule) sin. Take a look at all that came to be because of sin:

Because of sin the serpent was “cursed above all livestock” and caused to go on his belly and eat the dust of the earth.
Because of the sin of man, women have pain in childbirth.
Because of Adam listened to Eve and took and ate of the fruit, he must work by the sweat of his brow to harvest food to eat.
Because of sin, thorns and thistles grow in among the good food.
Because of sin, man dies and the body decays into the dust of the earth after death.
Because of sin, these humans and every human after them have been removed from the paradise of the Garden and separated from God.

New Testament – The Mystery Revealed

The truth of the matter is that every man after Adam is dead in their trespasses and sins. Paul explains this to the Church at Ephesus, as follows:

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

And Paul goes on to give us great news:

Ephesians 2:4-10 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

There was a time, after Adam and Eve first sinned, that God’s law was expanded into more that 600 things that the people could and could not do. The people could not obey these laws and at one point God wiped out all of mankind because they were so evil. He saved only Noah and his family because Noah was righteous in God’s eyes. Even after Noah, man continued to disobey and because God’s chosen people, Israel (the Jewish people), rejected God’s eternal plan of salvation, it was offered to the Gentiles (those who are not Jewish). Paul writes about this in his letter to the Church at Rome:

Romans 11:30-32 30 For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

Life Application

This offer from God to all men was made possible by His only begotten Son, Jesus who willingly allowed Himself to be wrongfully crucified so that His blood would pay our sin debt. The debt or payment for sin is death. Because of Adam, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ( Romans 3:23, 6:23 ). But God loves us so much that He gives us something we do not deserve – GRACE.

Grace if offered to all men and women. Look up the following verses to see how much God loves you: Romans 5:8; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Luke 19:10.

The Gift Accepted

Everyone loves receiving gifts, but for a gift to be yours, you must accept it. When you believe the truth of the gospel, that Jesus died for your sins, was buried according to the Scriptures and was raised again on the third day, according to the Scriptures, you are guaranteed eternal life – you receive the gift. God seals your name in the Lambs Book of Life and leaves His Holy Spirit as the Promise that Jesus will return to redeem you into eternal life with Him and His Father in Heaven. Your death sentence is lifted and you are no longer condemned. Some Bible verses to study about the results of this salvation include: John 3:18, 36; John 14:27; Romans 8:9; Romans 8:16-17 and Philippians 4:3

Walking in Grace

Grace does not mean that we may now do things that displease the Lord. Under the law we saw death and we were bound as a slave to that Law. Under grace we have freedom through the leading of the Spirit. We needed the Law to convince us of our personal need of a Savior ( Gal 3:23-26 ). Under grace we are no longer focused on the “dos” and “don’t”, rather, when we follow the Spirit we always do what pleases God. Consider these examples of how to walk in grace:

Under the Law we are told “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”; under Grace we are taught that God is spirit and we should worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)
Under the Law we are told “Thou shalt not commit adultery”; under Grace we are taught to be faithful to our spouse (Eph 5:33; Heb 13:4)
Under the Law we are told “Thou shalt not steal”; under Grace we are taught to steal no more and to work with our own hands so that we may give to those that have need (Eph 4:28).
Under the Law we are told “Thou shalt not bear false witness”; under Grace we are taught to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15)
Under the Law we are told “Thou shalt not covet …”, under Grace we are taught to be content in every situation (Phil 4:11)

I think you get the idea. Walking in Grace is to allow the Spirit to discern the right way for you. God loves us and gives us everything that we need to walk in grace and peace . All we need to do is listen to His leading. When we quench the Spirit we fall into old habits. Falling into old habits does not mean that we can ever lose eternal life, because remember we have a Promise and we are sealed. Eternal life is a sure thing! The Bible says that this believers “ hope ” is steadfast and as sure as an anchor (Heb 6:19).

I pray that this Bible study has allowed you to understand the simplicity and practical application of grace in every believer’s life.

The Holy Bible, King James Version

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ® (ESV ® ), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

YouTube: “Your Grace is Enough” by Chris Tomlin

Tagged as: Bible Study , God's Grace Bible Study , grace , Life application

Article by Pamela Rose Williams

Pamela Rose Williams is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She and her husband, Dr. Michael L. Williams, have served in Christian ministry since 2001. She has a Master of Ministry in Biblical Counseling degree and a Bachelor’s in Christian Education and spends most of her time as a professional editor and writer, working with many Christian authors and artists. Additionally, she works with her husband using their extensive experience in information technology to provide Christ-centered teaching and resources to people all over the world. To learn more about Pamela visit her About page.

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1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!

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H.B. Charles, Jr. :: Surprised by Grace (2 Samuel 9)

"O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell in your holy hill?" David begins Psalm 15 with these provocative questions. The body of the psalm answers these opening questions. It describes that character and conduct of the person who pleases God. The last line of Psalm 15:4 tells us that a godly person is one "who swears to his own hurt and does not change." He keeps his word even when it costs him. She keeps her promises no matter what. The point is that godly people are promise keepers. David teaches that in Psalm 15 . David exemplifies this in 2 Samuel 9 , which is a part of what scholars call "THE SUCCESSION NARRATIVE OF DAVID." It is a detailed account of Israel's transition from Saul's rule to the establishment of David's reign. By 2 Samuel 9 , David has accomplished great military victories and is enjoying peace, power, and prosperity. And during this period David lavishes kindness on a crippled man named Mephibosheth.

There are two seasons of life that test and reveal a person's character: (1) seasons of adversity and (2) seasons of prosperity. And this season of success clearly demonstrates that David was man after God's own heart. And I want us to look at David's heart as it revealed in his kindness to Mephibosheth so that through it we might see God's kindheartedness toward you and me. STEVE JONES comments: "Just as x-rays pass through the human body and reveal an accurate picture of the heart to the physician's trained eye, there are some important ways in which the actions of David revealed the heart of God. We get some of those x-rays in the remarkable story of Mephibosheth." 2 Samuel 9 is a historical event that functions as a parable to teach us that the grace of God is a wonderful surprise that's too good not to be true.

In his book What's So Amazing About Grace , PHIL YANCEY writes a friend who overheard an interesting conversation on a bus one day. A woman was reading. And the man sitting next to her asked what she was reading. She told him. It was M. SCOTT PECK'S bestseller, The Road Less Traveled . The man asked what it was about. Admitting she had just begun the book, she answered by reading him the chapter titles from the table of contents. When she mentioned the section on "Grace," the man interrupted and asked what grace was about. She replied, "I have gotten that far yet."

The same thing can be said about the Bible. No matter how much scripture you may read, study, or memorize; you have not gotten far into the Bible if you don't know what is teaches about grace. Without oversimplifying the message of this expansive library of sixty books, I submit that the bible is simply about the glory of the grace of God. The grace of God is everywhere in the Bible. And it is not boring grace. It's always a wonderful surprise of amazing grace. In Genesis 3 , when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, not only did God not immediately strike them dead (sparing mercy), but he also clothed them in coats of skin to cover the guilt-induced shame of the nakedness (surprising grace). And throughout scripture — all the way through the book of Revelation — God keeps surprising us with amazing grace. Of course, the biggest surprise of amazing grace is the virgin birth, perfect life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And David's kindness to Mephibosheth illustrates the surprising grace of God that seeks us, welcomes us, and enriches us through Jesus Christ.

I. THE GRACE OF GOD REACHES OUT TO THE LOST.

2 Samuel 8 describes David as being in a place in his life where he didn't need anything. But in 2 Samuel 9 , the one who didn't need anything was searching for something: HE WAS SEEKING SOMEONE TO SHOW COVENANT KINDNESS TO. And verse 3 makes it clear that David understood that his kindness was a derivative of the kindness of God. In other words, David wanted to be kind in order to imitate God. Don't miss that. God is a kindhearted sovereign who is seeking and searching for someone to be gracious to.

Because we can only see reality through the limited perspective of our personal experience, Christians often speak of our conversion to saving-faith in Christ in terms of us seeking God. But salvation actually happens the other way around. Romans 3:10-11 says, "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; n one seeks for God." Dig you get that? Unrighteous people don't seek God. Every sinner does what the first sinners did. Adam and Eve tried to hide from God, not seek God. And every unconverted sinner is a convicted fugitive on the run from divine justice who is only saved because of the personal missionary work of almighty God. I once read about an entire police force that was mobilized to catch a car thief who had stolen an old, beat-up Volkswagen bug. They even broadcast radio bulletins to find this suspect. These great efforts were made to catch this thief because the owner of the car informed the authorities that there was a box of crackers in the front seat that he had laced with rat-poison to kill some rodents in his house. So the police desperately searched for the man, not to lock him up, but to save his life. And that's how the grace of God operates. In Luke 19:10 , Jesus says, "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost."

GOD REACHES OUT TO US BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS . Nothing forced David to seek out Mephibosheth. And no one pressured him to do it. Something within David moved him to reach out and act in kindness. And it's the same way with God. Mark it down. God does not owe you anything. More specifically, God does not owe you any good thing. Indeed, God owes each of us divine justice, holy wrath, and eternal punishment. But you don't want God to give you what you deserve. And this is why grace is such a wonderful surprise. God has not treated us as our sins deserve. Instead, his reaches out to with sparing mercy, saving grace, and steadfast love. Ephesians 2:4-5 says: "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved."

GOD REACHES OUT TO US FOR THE SAKE OF ANOTHER . The external reason why David sought out someone to show kindness to wasn't because of Mephibosheth. It was because of Mephibosheth's father, Jonathan. Jonathan and David were best friends. In fact, Jonathan loved David so much that he protected him from Saul's wrath and supported his ascension to the throne of Israel, even though he was Saul's son who was next in line to be king. In 1 Samuel chapters 18 and 20 , David and Jonathan entered into covenant agreement with one another. David promised to be kind to Jonathan's house after his promotion and Jonathan's death. And in 2 Samuel 9 , David now seeks out someone from the house of Jonathan to whom he can show the loyal love of God. David was gracious to Mephibosheth for the sake of another — JONATHAN. And God is gracious toward us for the sake of another — Jesus.

In the movie The Last Emperor, the young child who is the last emperor of China lives a magical life of luxury with a thousand eunuch servants at his command. "What happens when you do wrong?" his brother asks. "When I do wrong, someone else is punished," the boy emperor replies. To demonstrate, he breaks a jar, and one of the servants is beaten. The Lord Jesus Christ reversed this pattern for our sakes: When the servants erred, the King was punished. Isaiah 55:4-6 says, "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned — every one — to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." 2 Corinthians 5:21 puts it this way: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

GOD REACHES OUT TO US IN SPITE OF US. Ziba was a servant of Saul who was administrating Saul's estate. And when David summoned him and inquired about the surviving members of Saul and Jonathan's family, Ziba singled out Mephibosheth — even though there were others he could have mentioned. Interestingly, he does not mention Mephibosheth by name. In verse 3 , Ziba introduced Mephibosheth by his condition: "he was crippled in his feet." When the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan reached the royal family, they fled. 2 Samuel 4:4 tells us that Mephibosheth was just five-years-old at the time. And in the haste to flee, his nurse dropped him, leaving his feet permanently crippled. It seems that Ziba reports Mephibosheth's condition to say to David that he was not worth David's time — he could neither help nor hurt the king.

Undeterred by Ziba's unflattering description of Mephibosheth, David replied, "Where is he?" Ziba then reports that Mephibosheth was hiding out in the home of benefactors who lived in Lo-debar. The name "LO-DEBAR" means "no pasture." We do not know much about Lo-debar. But scholars agree that its name was meant to indicate that it was a barren, unfruitful, terrible place. Mephibosheth was a crippled man from a fallen dynasty living in a horrible environment. Yet David reached out to him in kindness. Verse 5 says, "Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar." That's grace. It's what grace does for us. The grace of God reaches out to us in spite of us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

II. THE GRACE OF GOD WELCOMES IN THE ENEMY.

No doubt, David's kindness came as a complete surprise to Mephibosheth. When the king's soldiers knocked at his door and carried him to Jerusalem, he must have seen his whole life flash before his eyes. Mephibosheth knew how it went. When a new king arose, he would put to death the family of the previous dynasty so there would be no revolts or rebellions later. So Mephibosheth must have entered David's presence like a cornered enemy. But David embraced him like a long, lost friend. And David's warm welcome of Mephibosheth teaches us two important things about grace.

GRACE MEANS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF GOD'S WRATH . Can you imagine the sense of terror that must have consumed Mephibosheth when he met the king? He feared David. He was scared of being brutally tortured and executed. He was afraid because there was absolutely nothing he could do about whatever was about to happen to him. Imagine his surprise when King David says to him, "Do not fear, for I will show you kindness…" David's kindness removed Mephibosheth's fear. And God's grace does the same for us. So we can confidently sing Psalm 27 : "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

One day, President Thomas Jefferson was riding horseback cross-country when he and his companions came to a swollen river. A wayfarer stood at the banks as several of the party passed by. But when President Jefferson approached, he hailed him, asking if the president would carry him across the river on his horse. Once on the other side, on the group asked the wayfarer why he selected the president to ask this favor of. "The president," said the man with surprise. "I didn't know he was the president. All I know is that on some of the faces is written the answer 'no' and on some faces is written the answer 'yes.' His was a 'yes' face."

That's a good definition of grace. Grace is the smiling face of God. Grace communicates God's acceptance, approval, and affirmation. God's grace means that we have to fear the judgment, wrath, and condemnation of God. In John 10:28-30 , Jesus says: "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father' are one." Praise God that you don't have to be afraid of death, hell, and the grave

WHAT HAVE I TO DREAD? WHAT HAVE I TO FEAR? LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS I HAVE PERFECT PEACE, WITH MY LORD SO NEAR LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS.

GRACE MEANS THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE AFRAID OF YOUR WEAKNESS . David promised to show kindness to Mephibosheth. David vowed to restore Saul's estate to Mephibosheth. And David assured Mephibosheth that he had a permanent place as the royal table. Naturally, these royal favors overwhelmed Mephibosheth. And he moved from being surprised by grace to becoming skeptical toward grace. Verse 8 says, "And he paid homage and said, "What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?'" One of the most degrading things you could call a person in David's day was a "dog." And for a person to call himself a dog would be a great act of self-deprecation that expressed humble submission before a superior authority. But note that Mephibosheth does not just call himself a dog. He calls himself a "dead dog." That's how Mephibosheth saw himself. Less than nothing. Worse that the worst. Lower than rock bottom. But that's not how David saw Mephibosheth. And that's not how God sees you.

There is a sociological concept that is called "the theory of the looking-glass self." The idea is that we have a way of seeing ourselves through the eyes of other people — so much so that we incorporate their views of us into our own self-concept. This is why so many of us have such a perverted view of life. We only see ourselves through the lens of other people's opinions — parents, siblings, lovers, teachers, the media, church folks, etc. But grace leads us to look at ourselves through the mirror of God's amazing grace. And there, we don't have to be afraid of what we see. Faith is God's grace is simply about accepting God's acceptance of you. I know you are crippled. And I know that you are may be in Lo-debar. But I have good news for you. God loves you. There is nothing that can make God love you more. And there is nothing that can make God love you less. In Romans 8:38-39 , Paul says, "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

III. THE GRACE OF GOD LIFTS UP THE FALLEN.

Verses 6-8 record David's conversation with Mephibosheth. Then verses 9-11 record David's conversation with Ziba about Mephibosheth: "Then the king called Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master's grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master's grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall always eat at my table.' Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king, 'According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.' So Mephibosheth ate at David's table, like one of the king's sons." These verses illustrate three ways in which the grace of God lifts up the fallen.

GOD'S GRACE GIVES UNDESERVED RICHES . That's what David did for Mephibosheth. He restored to him all the land of Saul and Jonathan. David didn't have to do that to keep his promise to Jonathan. He could have just put Mephibosheth on a kind of royal "welfare system" and kept Saul's estate for himself. But David gave it all to Mephibosheth. And it was apparently so great that verse 10 says it would take Ziba's fifteen sons and twenty servants to care for all that land. With one decree of sovereign grace, Mephibosheth went from living in someone else's house in Lo-debar to owning his own royal estate. This is what grace does. God's grace enriches us. Matthew 5:3 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God." 2 Corinthians 8:9 says: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." Ephesians 1:3 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."

GOD'S GRACE GIVES UNCONDITIONAL FAVOR . Four times in this chapter — verses 7 , 10, 11 , and 13 — we are told that David gave Mephibosheth a permanent place at his royal table. This gracious act was definitely not a subtle form of house arrest to keep an eye on Mephibosheth. And it was not a royal handout to meet his physical need for food. David had already given Mephibosheth so much land that it would take more some thirty-five people to care for it. So this was not about food. It was about favor. Verse 11 says that Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. In a real sense, David adopted Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was not just a guest at the royal table. He was a member of the royal family. Verse 13 says, "So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king's table. Now he was lame in both his feet." Mephibosheth remained crippled. But his crippled feet were hidden under the king's table. That's what grace does. It covers us. Romans 5:20 says, "Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, graced abounded all the more."

GOD'S GRACE GIVES UNENDING SECURITY . 2 Samuel 21:1-7 illustrates David's ongoing protection of Mephibosheth. Saul had waged an unjust war against Gibeonites. But the punishment for Saul's sin didn't fall on Israel until David's reign. A three-year famine struck the land. And when David prayed about it, God told him about Saul's sin. So David went to the Gibeonites to make restitution. And the Gibeonites demanded that David hand over seven of Saul's sons that they may hang them. And David agreed. But 2 Samuel 21:7 says that David would not give them Mephibosheth.

A certain man sought to adopt a troubled teenager. As the process of adoption was going on, the young girl did a terrible thing to break the man's heart. And all of his family and friends warned him that he should immediately end the adoption process. "After all," they argued, "she's not really your daughter." But the man resolutely replied, "I know. But I told her she was. And I am not going to change my mind." This is how the grace of God treats us. Lamentations 3:22-23 says: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

How should you respond to grace and goodness of God? Let me answer by telling you about another episode from Mephibosheth's life. It's recorded in 2 Samuel 19:24-30 . David's kingdom was threatened by a political and military revolt led by his own son, Absalom. And during this conflict, David became a refugee in exile from his beloved city of Jerusalem. Ultimately, David prevailed. Absalom was defeated and killed in battle. And David finally returned to Jerusalem. Upon his arrival, he had to settle some issues with several people. One of them was Mephibosheth. When David fled Jerusalem, Mephibosheth remained behind. Ziba told David that Mephibosheth stayed behind because he had turned against the king and sided with the enemy. But when David returned to Jerusalem, he was met by Mephibosheth who had not bathed or shaven since David's departure. And in this apparent state of mourning, Mephibosheth gave his side of the story. Ziba left him. And being crippled, he had no other means of fleeing. David, not knowing whose story to believe, decided to split Saul and Jonathan's estate evenly between Ziba and Mephibosheth. But in 2 Samuel 19:30 , Mephibosheth says, "Oh, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home." Did you get that? We ought to be willing to give our all back to the Lord who has given so much to us.

I HEAR THE SAVIOR SAY, "THY STRENGTH INDEED IS SMALL! CHILD OF WEAKNESS, WATCH AND PRAY. FIND IN MY THINE ALL IN ALL." JESUS PAID IT ALL, ALL TO HIM I OWE SIN HAD LEFT A CRIMSON STAIN — HE WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW.

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The Glorious, Life Altering Difference Between Grace and Mercy

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ( Psalm 145:8 )

What exactly is the difference between grace and mercy?

And why does it even matter? Can’t we just use them interchangeably?

Nope. If we do, we miss out on some glorious truths.

God’s mercy and God’s grace are not the same things, though the differences are subtle, and they are often mentioned together.

In many ways they overlap; usually when God pours out his mercy, he pours out his grace as well.

Let’s dive into this a bit deeper.

Grace and Mercy Are Both Manifestations Of God’s Love and Compassion

Before we explore the glorious difference between grace and mercy, we need to see how they’re similar.

Neither are deserved. God has compassion on sinners who deserve his wrath.

Why? I don’t know.

And he is gracious as well to those who don’t love him and never thank him. But God pours out his mercy and grace especially on those he saves through Jesus.

The simplest way to understand the difference between grace and mercy is that they are flip sides of the coin of his love.

In other words, God’s mercy is NOT giving sinners what they DO DESERVE.

And God’s grace is POSITIVELY GIVING sinners what they DO NOT DESERVE.

The Glory Of God’s Mercy

The Hebrew for “merciful” means “compassionate” or “full of compassion.” It means “to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favor, bestow”

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. ( Psalm 86:15 )

This is mercy: We have all sinned against a holy God. We deserve eternal wrath in hell. But in his mercy, God poured out on Jesus the wrath we deserved on the cross , so we could escape his wrath.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ( Romans 5:6 )

…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ( Romans 5:8 )

For reasons known only to God, though we had spit in his face, broken his laws, rejected him and disobeyed him, he had compassion on us.

God doesn’t take any pleasure in punishing people, even those who reject him and hate him outright. So in his mercy, he didn’t give us what we deserved, eternal punishment, his infinite wrath. Instead, in his mercy, he poured his wrath out on his beloved Son.

Jesus didn’t have to die for us. He didn’t have to pay for our sins. But our God is compassionate and merciful. So he didn’t give us what we deserved. He gave it to Jesus.

If this were all he had done, it would have been incredible. If God simply spared us from hell that would have been infinite mercy.

Even if he did nothing else for us. Even if we were to die then cease to exist. Even if we were to never go to heaven or know him.

It still would have been infinite mercy to us, to NOT give us what we DID DESERVE.

The difference between grace and mercy is that mercy is not getting what we deserve.

The Beauty of God’s Grace

But not only is God infinitely merciful, he is infinitely gracious. In his grace he not only withheld his wrath, but he positively saved us:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God… ( Ephesians 2:8 )

The Greek for “grace”, “charis” means: kindness, favor, “a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ”, or “kindness which bestows upon one what he has not deserved” (Strongs)

See the difference? In his mercy God withholds WHAT WE DO DESERVE; in his grace God heaps upon us infinite blessings WE DO NOT DESERVE. In mercy he withholds what we DID MERIT – eternal wrath; and in grace pours out upon us what we COULD NEVER MERIT: Eternal life, infinite joy, being one with Christ, being made like Christ.

Grace is God’s free gift of his undeserved, unmerited favor.

God’s grace is, “…the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues” (Strongs).

When we believe in Jesus, because of his mercy God does NOT give us what we deserve:

His wrath, eternal punishment in hell

And when we believe in Jesus, because of His grace, God gives us what we don’t deserve. He…

Gives us eternal life Adopts us as his children Makes us joint-heirs with Christ, gives us infinite riches in Christ Gives us his Holy Spirit Gives us power and victory over sin Lives in us Conforms us to Christ Causes all things to work together for our good Hears our prayers Gives us gifts of the Spirit Produces fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, etc. Gives us good works to walk in He will never remove his love from us And someday we will see his face

And the list goes on and on….

And God doesn’t begrudgingly pour out his grace. He longs to pour it out upon us. Isaiah 30 : 18 says “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.”

God is lavish with his grace. He doesn’t just give us a little. He pours it out:

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us … ( Ephesians 1:7-8 )

So what should our response be to God’s amazing mercy and lavish grace he has heaped upon us?

I don’t have room in this post, but a few ways we should respond:

Thankfulness

Wonder, amazement, praise and worship

Living wholeheartedly for the one who saved us

Imitating our God and being merciful and gracious to those who don’t deserve it

If you’ve never believed in Jesus, he offers you the free gift of his grace, because of all Jesus did.

He is the eternal God, yet became a man, lived a sinless life of perfect obedience to his Father, then bore our sins and God’s wrath on the cross.

Then he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven where he reigns as Lord of Lords.

And he promises that for all who believe in him and call upon him so save them he will have mercy on them, forgive their sins and give them eternal life and lavish his grace upon them.

He longs to lavish salvation on you. Don’t wait another day to believe in and call on him to save you!

The difference between grace and mercy is that grace is getting what we don’t deserve.

So What’s The Difference Between Grace and Mercy?

Both grace reveal the staggering, glorious, delightful character of God.

In his mind-boggling mercy, he doesn’t give us what we deserve. Rather, he gave that to Jesus.

In his outrageous, lavish grace, he gives us what we don’t deserve. He gives us the rewards earned by Jesus.

Is there anyone like our God?

Mark Altrogge has been senior pastor of Saving Grace Church of Indiana, Pennsylvania, since 1982. He has written hundreds of songs for worship, including “I Stand in Awe” and “I’m Forever Grateful.” Mark and his wife, Kristi, have five children and five grandchildren.

Find out more on his blog, The Blazing Center .

This article originally appeared here . Used with permission.

Understanding The Grace Of God

By: Author Michael Bradley

Posted on Last updated: August 31, 2023

As Christians, one of the most important things we need to fully understand is the grace of God.

As you will see in the Scripture verses I will list below, there are two main definitions as to what the grace of God is all about. The best way to look at this revelation is to look at it like you are looking at a two-sided coin.

On the one side of the coin the grace of God is the “unmerited favor and mercy” of God. This is the grace that we are saved by with the Lord.

As you will see in the first verse I will list below, we are saved by “grace” through our faith in Jesus Christ.

The second definition of the word grace, which will be the other side of this same coin, is that the grace of God is referring to the divine life, power, and ability of God flowing and operating through us.

This second aspect of God’s grace is the kind of grace we will need to properly function and operate in whatever He is going to call us to do for Him in this life.

This same kind of divine power is also needed in our sanctification in the Lord, along with being needed to help us overcome different types of sins and temptations. In order that you can have this revelation of grace as a two-sided coin, here are the two sides of grace and exactly what is in each of these two sides:

The unmerited favor, mercy, compassion, acceptance, kindness, graciousness, goodwill, and divine assistance of God.
The divine life, power, and ability of God flowing and operating through us in order to give us the supernatural power and ability for ministry and sanctification

Here is how grace is specifically defined by some of the different Bible Dictionaries:

Unmerited favor, mercy, compassion
Undeserved blessing, a free gift
Gods loving mercy toward mankind
Favor, graciousness, kindness, beauty, pleasantness
God’s disposition to exercise goodwill toward His creatures
Synonymous with the gospel of God’s gift of unmerited salvation in Jesus Christ
Favor or kindness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that same person deserves
Undeserved acceptance and love received from another, especially the characteristic attitude of God in providing salvation to sinners
The gift of God as expressed in His actions of extending mercy, loving-kindness and salvation to people
Unmerited divine assistance given man for his regeneration or sanctification
The power and equipment for ministry

I will break these Scripture verses down under 11 different captions so that you can fully grasp and understand what God is trying to reveal to us in these incredibly profound verses.

These Scripture verses are giving you a major key in being able to understand the basics of your eternal salvation in the Lord, along with showing you how God can impart His divine power through you so as to enable you to live a victorious and overcoming life in Him.

This is basic 101 information and knowledge that all Christians should have a firm and solid grasp on so that you cannot only have it for your own personal storehouse of knowledge in the Lord, but so you can also have it to be able to teach and educate other Christians who do not have a full understanding of this revelation from the Lord. Study these verses very carefully and meditate on the revelation that God is trying to reveal to us.

If you can fully grasp what the Lord is trying to show us in these major power verses, you will then walk away with a full understanding of the basics of your own personal salvation in the Lord – along with having the knowledge on how to get God to release more of His grace into your life so that you can then learn how to live this life as a good and mighty soldier of Jesus Christ.

I have broken the rest of this article into 11 different sections.

We Are Saved by “Grace” Through Faith in Jesus Christ

These first 16 verses all have to do with our own personal salvation in the Lord. Each one of these are major power verses and they all have to do with the first definition of grace – which is that grace is the unmerited favor and mercy of God towards mankind.

In these verses are complete and full revelation on exactly what our eternal salvation in the Lord is really all about. If you can grasp what the Lord is trying to tell you in these specific verses, you will then be able to walk away with a much better and clearer understanding as to who you really are in your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and exactly how you were saved in the first place.

I will go ahead and run all of these verses together, and then point out key words and phrases in these verses so you can see exactly what God is trying to show you.

“ For by grace you have been saved through faith , and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone boast.” (Ephesians 2:8) “… who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (2 Timothy 1:9) “ And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work .” (Romans 11:6) “Therefore, having been justified by faith , we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2) “ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men …” (Titus 2:11) “ But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they .” (Acts 15:11) “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) , and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7) “… that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7) “… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God , being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus …” (Romans 3:23-24) “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ .” (John 1:17) “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace …” (2 Thessalonians 2:16) “ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence …” (Ephesians 1:7-8) “For if by the one man’s offense, many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many .” (Romans 5:15) “… having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved .” (Ephesians 1:6) “ But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord .” (Romans 5:20) “ I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain .” (Galatians 2:21)

The first thing to pick up from these verses is that our personal salvation in the Lord is not earned by any type of good works that we can do in this life – no matter how many good works we may end up doing, and no matter how good and holy those works may end up being. The quantity and quality of our works for the Lord do not matter to Him.

The very first verse listed above is the absolute number one power verse on exactly how we are to receive eternal salvation from the Lord. This verse specifically tells us, without any other possible spin or interpretation you can possibly put on it, that our individual personal salvation in the Lord can only be received by “grace” through our personal faith in Jesus Christ.

This first verse, and the two that follow right after it, specifically state that our eternal salvation is simply received by grace through faith – not by any type of works. The first verse tells us that our eternal salvation is a direct, free gift from God and “not of works.” The second verse once again says that God has saved us through His grace and not “according to our works.”

The third verse then really hammers this point home when it literally shouts out that we cannot be saved by both grace and works. It says if we are saved by grace, then works has no part in our salvation whatsoever. You cannot have this revelation both ways. If we are saved by grace, which we are, then works has absolute no part in our personal salvation with the Lord. It’s all Him and none of us. The first verse says that being saved by grace through our faith in Jesus all comes direct from God and that it is “not from ourselves.”

As simple as this revelation is to fully grasp and understand, there are still some Christians who are walking around thinking that they still have to try and earn their way into heaven by doing as many good and holy works as they possibly can.

As a result, they spend most of their life in misery and torment as they never know for sure if they will make it into heaven after they die and cross over. These first set of verses are absolute top priority for any newborn who has just been saved or any unbeliever you may be witnessing to.

I am going to highlight some of the key phrases in the above verses so you can see how the Lord is really trying to drive home the point that we can only be saved by and through His grace.

For by grace you have been saved through faith
Who has saved us … according to His own purpose and grace
We have access by faith into this grace
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men
Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved
By grace you have been saved
Having been justified by His grace
Being justified freely by His grace
Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ
Given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Notice in every single one of these key phrases the word “grace” is specifically being used in reference to our own personal salvation in the Lord.

With the basic definition of the word “grace” being “unmerited favor,” there can be no question that our own personal salvation in the Lord can only be received by God’s grace through our faith in His Son Jesus.

No amount of works, no matter how good and holy we think those works may be, will ever be good enough to get us back in the good graces of our Lord and Savior.

Ritualism, legalism, and works are out the door!

They have no place in our personal salvation with the Lord – and they have absolutely no place when working with an unsaved person in an effort to try and get them saved. God has made accepting His free gift of eternal salvation through His Son Jesus Christ as easy as He possibly could.

These Scripture verses are as clear as they can possibly be on this issue.

Grace is the Power and Ability of God Operating Through Us

As you will see in these next set of Scripture verses, the grace of God is also the power and ability of God operating through us so that we can effectively work in whatever He will be calling us to do for Him in this life. This same divine power is also needed for us to be able to be properly sanctified in the Lord, along with helping us overcome different types of sins, addictions, and temptations.

In other words, we need the power of God flowing and operating through us if we are going to achieve any real success in the Lord with whatever He will be calling us to do for Him in this life.

Without God’s divine power and ability operating through us, we will never make it to the tops of mountains that He is calling us to climb for Him. We will never be able to reach the goals, the aspirations, and the finish lines that God has in store for us unless we have the power of His Holy Spirit working in us and through us.

Too many Christians are trying to reach all of their goals and aspirations operating out of their own strength.

Instead of relying on God’s power and leadings to get them to where they are supposed to be going with Him, they are relying on their own wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, and strength.

When Jesus Christ Himself relied on the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish everything that He accomplished down here on this earth – and the apostle Paul gives all of the credit for his success in the Lord to the grace and power of God operating through him – then you know we are dealing with a major, profound, divine truth from the Lord.

Bottom line – we need God’s divine grace and power flowing and operating through us if we are going to become everything that He is calling us to become in Him in this life.

Not by our might, but only by the power of His Holy Spirit operating through us can we ever hope to fulfill the divine plan and call that God has on each one of our lives.

Burn these next set of verses into your memory banks if you really want to step from the dugout out onto the real playing field where God has a great adventure and great story for your life if you are willing to yield to it.

Be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit and be willing to work with the divine power that God can transmit through you.

As you will see in these next set of Scripture verses, if God the Father can give “great grace” and “great power” to the first set of apostles, then He can also do the exact same thing for you since He is no respecter of persons!

“And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33)
“… but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus .” (2 Timothy 2:1)
“ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance for every good work .” (2 Corinthians 9:8)
“ I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift , eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:4-8)
“ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift .” (Ephesians 4:7)
“ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith …” (Romans 12:6)
“ As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God .” (1 Peter 4:10)

The first verse really sets the stage for us as it shows us that in God’s divine grace is also His divine power. Notice that “great power” and “great grace” was on the early apostles. I believe that God is giving us a major clue in this verse is that in His divine grace is also His divine power. Great power is thus a part of God’s divine grace.

Notice in the second verse that we are to “grow in the grace” of God for our lives. In other words, you can grow mightier and stronger in God’s grace if you will allow Him to train and bring you up in it.

The third verse then adds more meat to this revelation when it tells us to learn how to “be strong in the grace” that is in Jesus Christ. Put it all together and God not only wants us to grow in His grace, but He wants all of us to become mightier and stronger in His grace.

The last two verses are tying in God’s grace with specific gifts that He can give to you. In other words, whatever gifts God will be giving you in order to work for Him in this life will all be included in His grace for your life.

The fourth verse tells us that we can have an “abundance” for every good work that we do for God and a “sufficiency” in all things as a result of God being able to make His grace “abound” toward us. The word “abound” means “to increase greatly.”

As you can see from the way these verses are all worded, not only does God have His grace to give to us, but He wants to give it to us in great abundance!

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Grace

If the second definition of grace is that it is referring to the power and ability of God flowing and operating through us, these next two verses are now going to add something very interesting to all of this.

The power of God flowing through you is really the “anointing” of God. The anointing of God is the presence and power of God flowing and operating through you to accomplish whatever the Lord wants you to accomplish for Him.

However, when you cut a little further into the anointing, what it really is – is the power of the Holy Spirit Himself operating through you.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was operating under the anointing of God when He embarked on His three and a half year miracle ministry before He went to the cross to die for all of our sins. But then a little further on in the Bible it tells us that Jesus was performing all of his miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit Himself.

The anointing of God is really the presence and power of the Holy Spirit Himself flowing and operating through you .

Now here is what these next two verses are going to give us. If the second definition of the word grace is referring to the power of God operating through us – and the power of God is really the power of the Holy Spirit Himself operating through us – is it possible that the Holy Spirit Himself may then be the Spirit of God’s grace? I believe the answer is yes and these next two verses will prove that point to you.

Both of these verses specifically state the Holy Spirit Himself is the “Spirit of grace.” In other words, the Holy Spirit may just literally be the grace of God Himself. If God’s grace is God’s power flowing and operating through us – and the power of God is really the power of the Holy Spirit Himself flowing through us – then it makes perfect, logical sense that the Holy Spirit Himself would then be considered to be the Spirit of the grace of God.

Here are the two verses giving us this specific piece of revelation:

“Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace ?” (Hebrews 10:29) “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10)

When the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of Grace” in these two verses, the “S” in the word “Spirit” is with a capital “S,” not with a small “s” – which means it is referring direct to the Holy Spirit Himself.

Put all of this together like pieces to a jigsaw puzzle, and I believe that the Bible may be giving us an incredible revelation in that the Holy Spirit Himself may be the actual grace of God. As such, all Christians actually have the grace of God already residing on the inside of them since we all have the Holy Spirit literally living on the inside of us.

The Grace of God Was Upon Jesus Christ

If you want two great, perfect role models on who had properly walked with the grace of God upon their lives, and who had successfully accomplished all of their earthly missions that God wanted them to accomplish as a result of that divine grace, look no further than the apostle Paul and Jesus Christ Himself.

These first two verses will be on Jesus. These two verses specifically tell us that the grace of God was “upon” Jesus and that He was “full” of this grace. In other words, the power and favor of God was upon Jesus while He was walking down here on our earth in the flesh. Jesus performed all of His supernatural miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit operating through Him. He did not perform these miracles by His own divine power.

Just as Jesus had His Father’s divine grace upon Him to help Him carry out His earthly ministry, so too can we have the same type of divine grace of God upon us and our lives in order to help us carry out and complete all of our divine assignments for Him.

“And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him .” (Luke 2:40) “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth .” (John 1:14)

Now if God the Father was willing to have His grace rest upon His Son Jesus so that He could successfully carry out all of His earthly mission, will God the Father do the same thing for each born-again believer?

I believe He will, and the next article will prove that to you – as it will show you that the apostle Paul ended up becoming one of the greatest, if not the greatest of all the New Testament apostles as a direct result of the divine grace that was given to him by God the Father.

The Grace of God Was Upon the Apostle Paul

If God is no respecter of persons and He was willing to release and impart His divine grace upon the apostle Paul so that Paul could successfully carry out all of his divine assignments for Him – then I believe that God will do the exact same thing for each born-again believer who will fully surrender their lives over to Him.

If you really want to see how far God can actually take you in this life to become everything that He is calling you to become in Him – study these next 5 verses very, very carefully, as they are giving you a major, powerful, spiritual secret.

If the apostle Paul can have the grace and power of God flowing and operating through him, then so can you if you are willing to work in cooperation and in union with the Lord.

Here are 6 major power verses showing you what God can do through an anointed believer, and how far He can really take you in this supernatural realm if you are willing to yield to it and work with Him on it.

“ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me .” (1 Corinthians 15:10) “… of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ …” (Ephesians 3:7-8) “Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God …” (Romans 15:15-16) “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles …” (Galatians 1:15) “For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God , and more abundantly toward you.” (2 Corinthians 1:12) “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

The first verse perfectly sets the stage as to what had happened between God and Paul. Paul makes one of the most classic statements ever made on the power of God’s grace operating through a believer when he says that it is “by the grace of God I am what I am.”

Paul grasped a very powerful, spiritual secret and truth when he came to the full realization and the full conclusion that all of the successes in his life were as a direct result of the grace of God that was upon him and his life. It was by the divine power of God flowing and operating through him that caused him to probably become the greatest of all of the New Testament apostles.

Paul continues to hammer home this point in the additional verses listed above. Notice in the second verse he says that he first became a minister of the gospel as a result of the “gift of the grace of God” that was given to him. In the third verse he once more makes the direct statement that he became a minister of Jesus Christ “because of the grace” that was given to him.

In the second last verse he sums it all up very nicely when he says that it was not with “fleshly wisdom” that he was able to walk and work with the Lord so successfully – it was “by the grace of God” that was upon him that he was able to walk and work so successfully for the Lord.

Paul knew that he did not have the natural abilities within his own mental and emotional makeup to be taking on these kinds of extraordinarily, heavy, divine assignments from the Lord. As I pointed out in my article titled, “ Trials and Tribulations – The Testing of Your Faith ,” this man literally had to go through hell and high water to accomplish everything that the Lord wanted him to accomplish in this life.

In that article, I gave you a list of all of the troubles and hardships that he had to personally face and endure as God launched him off to preach the gospel and write the epistles he ended up writing.

This man knew, and had grasped very early on, that the only way he was going to make it through all of these trying ordeals was to completely rely on God and His supernatural power to see him through all of it.

And just as Paul needed to completely rely on God and His divine power and grace to fully accomplish all of his divine assignments for the Lord, so too must we learn to do the exact same thing.

Paul is without question, one of the greatest role-models and heroes of the faith from our Bible.

The reason he was able to become so successful in his own personal walk with the Lord is that he found out very early on the spiritual secrets that he was going to need with the Lord – and the first and most powerful secret and truth he found was learning how to walk in the grace of God for his life.

As a result of all of the trials and tribulations he had to personally go through to make it to his own finish line in the Lord – he once again makes a very intense and powerful statement. The last verse above has to do with the thorn in his flesh that the Lord would not take away from him.

Once he realized that God was not going to take this thorn out of him in order to keep him humble with what had been given to him – he ends this incredible verse by stating that he would rather boast all day long in all of his infirmities, persecutions, and distresses – because he came to the revelation that when he would become weak by going through all of these adversities, then he would actually become stronger as a result of relying on God’s power and grace to actually see him through all of it.

God Himself tells Paul right at the beginning of this verse that His grace is going to be more than sufficient for him to weather this particular adversity.

And if God’s grace was going to be more than sufficient for him to weather this particular adversity, then that same grace would be more than enough to get him through the rest of the storm clouds that he would have to eventually face later on.

The lesson to be learned from all of this is that no matter how rough and hard your life may get from time to time – realize that God’s grace and power resting upon you and flowing through you will be more than enough for you to be able to take on the storm clouds of this life and eventually make it through these storm clouds in one piece and gain eventual victory – just like He did with the apostle Paul. If God is no respecter of persons, then what He did for Paul He will do for you if you will just fully trust Him to do it for you!

Let Your Speech Always Be With Grace

In this next caption, I am going to give you three very interesting verses all having the word “grace” in them. The first two verses have to do with how you speak and verbally express yourselves to others. The last verse has to do with both your words and your actions in dealing with other people, especially to other people who are not yet saved.

“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Colossians 4:6) “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29) “Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled …” (Hebrews 12:14-15)

The first verse is telling us that our speech to others has to be “with grace.” If you look at the basic definitions of grace at the top of this article again, one of the definitions that it is referring to is “favor, graciousness, kindness, beauty, and pleasantness.”

In the Sanctification Section of our site, we have an article titled, “ Death and Life Are in the Power of the Tongue .” In this article, I give you some of the main verses from the Bible that will show us that we all carry the power of life and death in our tongues.

We can either choose to release good, positive, and edifying types of words to people to help build them up as to who they really are in Christ, or we can choose to release negative words of coldness, harshness, condemnation, and pessimism.

When the Lord is telling us that He wants our speech to others to be done with grace, I believe He wants us to speak to others in a loving, kind, gracious, uplifting, and edifying manner – not in a condescending, critical, and judgmental manner. If we do, then the next verse tells us what will happen next. It tells us that we will then be able to impart “grace” to the hearer of our words.

The word “grace” in this verse is referring to what I believe is “power.” In other words, if you can learn how to speak out words of encouragement and edification to other people, you will then help to impart a certain amount of power into them and their lives.

Once you speak out godly and positive type words of encouragement and edification to another person, you will then help increase their levels of confidence and self-esteem.

And once you increase their levels of self-esteem and self-confidence in the Lord, then you will be imparting a certain amount of power and grace into their lives as a result of that increased confidence in themselves and in the Lord.

People need to be built up as to who they really are in their Lord and Savior – not torn and broken down like what you see in so many dysfunctional marriages and families throughout the world with some of the verbal and physical abuse that keeps going on behind closed doors.

The last verse then tells us that we have to pursue peace and holiness with all men – and if we do not, then a certain amount of unsaved sinners may end up falling short of the grace of God because we were not making the best witness and representative to them for our Lord.

What draws many unsaved people to the Lord are the godly and saintly attributes operating through our personalities.

If we are not making the best witness to these people either by our actions or by our words, then many of them may never come to the Lord because of our hypocritical behavior, and as a result, some of them may end up falling short of the grace of God just like this verse is telling us. In other words, they will never get saved in this life – all possibly because we were not making the best witness to them.

This is why it is so vital that we all learn to how to be actual “doers” of the Word of God, and learn how to speak and express ourselves to other people in a godly, civil, loving, caring, and uplifting manner.

Lives are hanging in the balance – and how we act and behave towards others in this life may make the difference as to whether or not a certain number of them ever accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Do Not Abuse the Grace of God

With the first definition of grace having to do with the unmerited favor and mercy of God toward us, and that this is the grace that we are actually saved by with our Lord – what will happen next with some Christians is that they will then try to start to take advantage of this grace. In other words, they will start to try and abuse it.

Once you realize that all of your past, present, and future sins will be fully forgiven under the blood that Jesus has already shed for you, it becomes very easy to want to get lazy and then be tempted to want to push the envelope with God the Father to see exactly what you can get away with and how far you can push certain things with Him.

The apostle Paul was way ahead of this possibility with the statement that he makes in these next two verses.

Here is the very solemn warning that Paul is giving us if we think we can go back to our old sinning ways again after we have been saved.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-2) “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:14-15)

Notice in the first verse Paul is telling us that though we have been saved by God’s grace – this does not mean we can go back to our sinning ways again. Paul is flat out telling us that we cannot use the grace of God that we have just been saved with as an excuse and a license to keep on sinning.

He tells us that we have now “died to sin” and thus should no longer live and wallow in it. God’s grace is not an open invitation to keep on sinning.

This second verse then tells us that God’s grace has now set us free from sin and the power it use to have over us. This verse is specifically telling us that “sin shall not have dominion over you” and that we cannot go back to sinning again just because we have now been saved by God’s grace.

When Paul tells us that sin shall no longer have “dominion” over us, what he is trying to tell us is that God’s grace and power can now help us overcome the desire to want to sin, and if by chance we do fall into a heavier sin area, then God’s grace and power can help pull us out of it and help set us free from its death grip.

No matter what kind of heavy sin area you may have fallen into – whether it be to a highly addictive drug, alcohol, or some type of criminal or aberrant behavior – God’s supernatural power can deliver you and set you completely free from the sin if you are willing to take God’s hand and work with Him during the deliverance process.

There is absolutely nothing that the power and grace of God cannot set you completely free from if you are willing to work with Him on it.

The laws of God give us the knowledge of what is sinful and what is not. However, the laws and commandments of God do not have the ability to save us from our sins, nor do the laws of God give us the power and ability to actually overcome any of our sins.

It is only the grace of God that will save us and set us free from our sins – and it is only the grace of God that will give us the power and the ability to be able to stay out of sin after we have been saved since we now have the Holy Spirit and His power living and operating on the inside of us.

As a result, no Christian will have any excuse on their day of judgment with the Lord if they have refused to pull out of some of these heavier sin areas before they die and cross over. God’s grace is available to every single believer. Jesus has already broken off the power that sin has over our lives at the cross. We all now have the power of the Holy Spirit Himself to take on any heavy sin area that we may have fallen into.

Stay Humble With the Grace That God Will Give You

Once you enter into a full surrender with the Lord and are really walking with His divine grace and power operating in your life, one of the things that you will really have to watch out for is the temptation to fall into the pride trap. It will become very easy to have all of this kind of divine power start to go to your head and puff you up.

For those of you who are already walking with the anointing of God in your own personal lives, and for those of you who would really like to enter into this supernatural realm with the Lord – I would highly recommend that you read our article “Pride Will Come Before the Fall” in the Sanctification Section of our site.

I simply cannot stress enough the importance that each and every Christian stay humble in their own personal walks with the Lord. Nothing will destroy your personal relationship with God, the anointing that God can flow through you, and the ministry that God wants to give you than letting all of this divine power go straight to your head.

The spirit of pride literally took out one-third of the entire angelic host from the heaven where God and Jesus dwell in – and it can also personally destroy you and your entire walk with the Lord if you let it get worked too far up into your mind and heart. In the article we have on this deadly sin and enemy, we give you all of the main verses from Scripture that deal with this topic.

As you will see in this next verse I will now give you, God says that He will give grace to the “humble,” but that He will “resist” those who are “proud.”

“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

I believe this verse is telling us that God will withhold His grace from anyone who has become too proud in his mind and in his heart. God will not allow His power and grace to be abused, to be tampered with, or to be used for one’s own glory or one’s own selfish purposes.

Stay humble and accountable in your personal walk with the Lord – and He will then continue to give you His grace and power so that you can then reach the finish line that He has set up for you to reach, and accomplish everything that He wants you to accomplish for Him in this life.

Do Not Receive the Grace of God in Vain

In addition to making sure that you do not let the spirit of pride get a foothold into your mind and in your thinking in reference to the grace that God can give you – these next two verses will now give us another major revelation that we really have to watch out for. These next two verses are telling us that we should not “receive the grace of God in vain.”

According to some of the different Bible Dictionaries, the word “vain” is defined as:

Useless, conceited, empty, to-no-end, nothingness, unreliability, worthless, idle, hollow, fruitless, futile, unprofitable

Once you really start to enter into a full-surrendered, power walk with the Lord where His divine power and grace is flowing through you mightily to accomplish everything that He is wanting you to accomplish for Him in this life, one of the other traps that you really have to watch out for is to make sure that you do not ever start to take His grace for granted or end up letting it be received in vain.

Here are the two verses giving us this piece of revelation from the Lord:

“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” (2 Corinthians 6:1) “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Notice Paul says in this second verse that the grace that God gave him ended up not being in vain. In other words, Paul used and worked with the grace that God was giving him, and as a result, he accomplished all of his divine assignments for the Lord and became one of the greatest apostles in all of the New Testament!

Notice Paul says that he “labored more abundantly than they all.” This key phrase is telling us that Paul was using and working with the grace that God was giving him as compared to some of the other Christians who were probably doing nothing or very little with the grace that God was wanting to give to them.

If God is going to give you His grace and power, then He is going to want you to do something with it.

Too many Christians are sitting in the dugout refusing to get into the real game of life with the Lord.

God can give you the baseball bat – which represents His gifts, grace, and power – but you have to be willing to step out of the dugout and get up to the plate and use the power of that bat to hit the ball.

If you do not, then all of God’s gifts, grace, and power that He was wanting to give to you in the first place will all end up being wasted, and you will end up receiving His grace in vain since you did absolutely nothing with the grace that He had initially given to you – just like Paul is perfectly describing in these two Scripture verses.

Paul was very quick to see that some of God’s people were receiving the grace of God in vain because they were not fully utilizing it like what he was doing.

How much of God’s grace is being wasted and ends up being received in vain because so many Christians are not willing to enter into God’s perfect will and plan for their lives?

How many gifted, born-again vessels are just sitting in the dugouts and doing absolutely nothing with the grace and power that God already has residing in them through the Holy Spirit?

As Christians, we have to realize that God has a perfect plan and destiny for each person that will fully surrender to it. And in that perfect plan and destiny is all of God’s grace and power that you will ever need to fully accomplish all of your divine assignments for Him. God’s grace is all there for the taking for those who are smart enough to grab a hold of it and are willing to work with Him on it.

As a Christian, if you do not find out what your true divine purpose and destiny is going to be with the Lord – then all the grace, power, and gifting that God already has set up for you to operate in will have all been received in vain.

As the above definitions are telling you – you will end up becoming fruitless, empty, unprofitable, and hollow in the eyes of the Lord if you fail to fulfill the divine destiny and purpose that He has already set up for you to enter into before you were even born into your mother’s womb.

Continue in the Grace of God

As I have stated in my article on “ The Full Surrender ” in the Bible Basics Section of our site, once you enter into a real full surrender with the Lord where He is now the One who will be guiding and directing your life in the specific directions that He will want it to go in – one of the things that you will have to get settled in your mind is that this will be a full surrender to the death.

There is absolutely no turning back once you enter into God’s perfect plan and destiny for your life.

As you will see in this next Scripture verse, the Bible is telling us that we have to “continue in the grace of God” – no matter how bad and rough things may get from time to time. God has a personal finish line that each person has to reach before they will be called home to be with Him for all of eternity.

As a result, God will always continue to give you His grace and power as you continue on in your walk with Him as long as you are staying in this full surrender with Him.

His grace will not only give you the power and ability to accomplish all of your divine missions for Him, but that same grace will also help keep you properly preserved and in one piece until you reach your personal finish line in Him.

Here is the verse where Paul is telling his followers to always continue in the grace of God for their lives.

“Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God .” (Acts 13:43)

The Bible tells us that Jesus Himself is the author and finisher of our faith. What this means is that not only will God start the story of your life in Him, but He will also make sure to properly finish it for you before you depart from this life to be with Him for all of eternity. God’s grace will take you all the way to the end of your life as long as you are willing to stay in the game with Him.

How to Receive the Grace of God

For those of you who were not aware of this second definition that the grace of God is referring to the power of God operating through you – there is a way that you can get God’s grace to start coming into your life in order to help you live a more victorious and overcoming life in Him.

The first step is to enter in a full surrender with the Lord. This is all explained to you in our article titled “ The Full Surrender .”

If you want God’s best to start flowing into your life, which will include receiving His divine grace and power, then you will have to give Him your best – and your best will be to make a full and complete surrender of your body, soul, spirit and your entire life into His hands.

Once you enter into this full surrender with the Lord, He will then start to take immediate control of your life and will then start to perfectly lead you every step of the way into your divine destiny.

And not only will God perfectly guide your steps in this life through the Holy Spirit, but He will also be giving you His divine power and grace so that you can be very good at whatever He will be calling you to do for Him.

If God calls you to be a doctor, an evangelist, a pastor, an attorney, a soldier in our armed forces, a professional athlete, a stay-at-home mom, or a policeman – then God will give you His divine grace and power to be very good at any of those specific jobs and callings.

In addition to having God’s grace flow through you so you can successfully operate in whatever He is calling you to do for Him in this life, you can also ask for God’s grace and power to handle any type of emergency situation you may find yourself having to face. Here is one whopper power verse showing us that God and His grace is available for all who will properly approach His “throne of grace.”

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

First notice that God calls His throne the “throne of grace.” This means that our God is a God full of mercy, help, compassion, and divine favor, and that He can release His divine power and grace into any situation that we will need His help on.

Then notice how this verse ends – “that we may obtain mercy and FIND GRACE in time of need.”

In other words, if you properly approach the Lord with your petitions and requests, then He can give you His divine grace and power to help you handle any type of problem, no matter how extreme or severe the problem may appear to you in the natural.

As I said at the top of this article, I believe the grace of God is like looking at a two-sided coin. On the one side of the coin the grace of God is God’s “unmerited favor and mercy.”

This is the grace that we are saved by through the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The flip side to this same coin is that the grace of God is the power and ability of God flowing and operating through us so that we can fully accomplish everything that He would like for us to accomplish for Him in this life – and also to become the true saints that He is calling us to become in Him through the sanctification process that He wants to start with each and everyone of us.

The grace of God can thus empower us and sanctify us.

When you really stop and meditate on what the grace of God is really all about – we are dealing with one of the most powerful, spiritual truths known to mankind.

Bottom line:

Without the grace of God – we would all die in our sins and never have any chance to be able to enter into heaven after we die and cross over
Without the grace of God – we will not have the power to overcome sin and the temptation to keep on sinning
Without the grace of God – we will not have the supernatural power to be able to enter into a true sanctification process with the Lord where He can then begin to mold, shape, and transform us into the express image of His Son Jesus Christ and make us into a better and more holy people
Without the grace of God – we will never find what our true divine destinies are going to be in the Lord and what we were really created to be in this life
Without the grace of God – we will not have the supernatural power and ability to become successful in the calls that He will be calling us to walk in
Without the grace of God – we will never be able to live in harmony and in unity with ourselves, families, friends, and neighbors

In other words, without the grace of God working in our lives, we will never amount to anything and accomplish anything of any real worth as far as the Lord is concerned.

That is why Jesus has already told us that without Him we can do absolutely nothing in this life.

The branches on a tree will die if they do not draw all of their life from the trunk of the tree. Cut a branch off from a tree and it will immediately wither and die. In the same way, we as the branches connected to Jesus, have to draw His life and grace into our beings if we are going to have and experience any type of true life on this earth.

When you put all of the Scripture verses together on this topic, God is giving all of us a very profound and powerful revelation.

Not only can the grace of God save us from the fires of everlasting pain, punishment, and torment – but the grace of God can also give us the power and ability to become everything that He is calling us to become in Him in this life.

No amount of money, wealth, power, and fame can give you what the grace of God can give you. Money, power, and fame cannot buy you true happiness and fulfillment in this life.

Only God can give you true happiness and true fulfillment in this life, and He has made it as easy as He possibly can to be able to receive all of this from Him.

All you have to do is:

Be willing to admit that you are a wretched sinner in need of a personal Savior to save you from your sins
Be willing to then accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior so that all of your past, present, and future sins will be fully forgiven through the blood that He has personally shed for you on the cross
And then be willing to enter into a full and complete surrender of your entire life with the Lord so that He is fully free to guide you into His perfect plan and destiny for your life

Do all of this and you will then find the grace and power of God coming into your life with a fire, with a passion, and with an intensity that you will never have known before.

God and His grace can enter into your life and change it for the better if you are willing to accept it, work with it, and then continue in it to the day you die and depart from this life.

The revelation that is contained in these Scripture verses are major, powerful, life-changing revelations if you are willing to believe and work with these powerful, spiritual truths.

Melchizedek

Wednesday 29th of November 2023

Wonderful exposition on the grace of God. However, you talk about facing judgment too. How do we reconcile future sins forgiven and facing judgment?

Feyisa Bedada

Saturday 2nd of September 2023

Incrideble! The article itself is full of God's grace; I am greatly blessed by the wonderful insight. May our almighty God bless you dear author!

Beverly Brown

Friday 2nd of June 2023

Excellent eye-opening, Spirit-filled revelations on 'The Grace of God. This article gives me a fresh understanding of The Grace of God. It allows me in-depth appreciate and understand so that I have a full grasp of how God's Grace is applicable in all of my Spiritual pursuits. I will be better able to handle the subject of "God's Grace" in my personal life and teaching others. Thank you for this inspirational writing.

Monday 20th of February 2023

You cannot say that grace is the person of Jesus He obeyed His Father. I would say that grace is an attribute of God, God as being the trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Without God, the Father Jesus would have followed His own will and probably not died on the cross. Without Jesus, there would be no forgiveness for our sins and without the Spirit, there would be no sanctification.

Friday 6th of August 2021

It is very nice to give meaningful understanding with reference of bible.

Ralph Garth

Thursday 23rd of September 2021

@benzir, I was reading a lesson that Andrew Wommack had wrote on grace. In his teaching he said that a lost person receiving Jesus as Lord and savior don't have ask Jesus to for him just receive what Jesus has already done. Is this true.

Bible Study Questions about Grace

What is grace in the Bible?

Grace is God’s essential character and the most fundamental premise of the gospel. In biblical terms, grace is the free, undeserved favor of God.

The word grace in the New Testament comes from the Greek word charis which means kindness and favor towards someone.

We can learn about what grace is and how it works by studying grace Bible verses in the scripture. Among the many gifts that God gave the world, the biggest grace is the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

To understand this, we need to go back to the time before we met Christ. We were sinners who broke God’s laws and for this, we deserved death. But God extended his grace for us by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross to take our punishment. This sacrifice is what Paul refers to as “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

The word grace is mentioned in 125 verses in the Bible (ESV) and broadly, it is used with three meanings: grace as the basis of our salvation, grace as our power and way of life and grace as God’s gifts to us.

Below is an outline you may consider on your Bible study on grace.

Grace as the basis of our salvation, grace as our way of life, grace as god’s blessings in our lives, bible study questions about grace, reflection & application questions.

This points to grace as the fundamental reason for our salvation (Ephesians 2:8). This verse reminds us that God’s grace is the only determining factor of our salvation. It’s entirely God’s doing and has nothing to do with our decisions or actions. Our obedience matters, but even the highest obedience cannot guarantee our salvation

The concept of grace is the opposite of karma, where we get what we put in. We don’t get what we deserve, but rather, we get the gift that we don’t deserve.

A major point to remember about the gift of salvation is that it’s absolutely free (Romans 3:24) for us, but is costly to God. He saves us not by just saying a word, but by taking the human form and going into the world to be among us and to die as a human. He became poor so that we could become rich (2 Cor 8:9). This is not a small sacrifice and yet, we receive it entirely free.

Since salvation is dependent on God alone, nobody can say they’re too deep into sin that they cannot be saved. God’s grace is available by grace through faith to all and nobody is unqualified for it.

Once we believe and receive this salvation, the grace of God is our basis for living . Romans 6:14 states that sin no longer has dominion over us because we are not under law but grace.

But this verse is not a license for us to sin, because grace trains those who have received Jesus: to kill ungodliness and to live godly lives, zealous for good deeds as we wait for the coming of Jesus (Titus 2:12-14). Grace brings us salvation but it doesn’t stop there. Grace trains us to live a new life that is pleasing to God.

“Thus you see that grace has its own disciples. Are you a disciple of the grace of God? Did you ever come and submit yourself to it?” (Spurgeon)

Titus 2:12-14 shows us that a life lived under true grace will be righteous. God’s work in our life changes us radically. It’s incompatible for a new creation to live comfortably with habitual sin.

“The grace that does not change my life will not save my soul.” – credited to Spurgeon.

Grace also becomes our mission . We are called to testify to the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) and as God sent Jesus, Jesus sends us to spread the gospel to the world. Every single believer is on a mission to be a witness to God’s grace.

Humankind and the world enjoy goodness such as sunrise, nature, air, conscience etc. This is often referred to as God’s common grace – the blessings that are given to everyone.

On the other spectrum, there’s special grace or saving grace – God’s favor upon those who are chosen. An example of this is God’s salvation and also the Holy Spirit that God sent to dwell in the hearts of believers.

John Piper says “Grace is not simply leniency when we have sinned. Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon.” Through God’s grace, we are capable of taking the steps to avoid sin. Paul says in 1 Cor 15:10 that he is who he is due to God’s grace and he “ worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” God’s grace supplies Paul with energy and discipline in his life.

God’s gifts to believers are meant to be shared with others and not used only for his/her own advantage. In 1 Peter 4:10, we, as God’s stewards, are encouraged to cultivate the gifts that we have to serve others. Whether we have the gift of generosity, hospitality or teaching, we are called to use them to lift others.

This is highlighted again in 2 Cor 9:8 – that God is able to bless us with grace so that having sufficiency in all times, we may abound in every good work.

God’s grace can also come in the form of a specific calling. In Eph 3:8 Paul states his calling to preach Christ to the gentiles as grace.

Here are some questions to discuss in your thematic study about grace:

Can you lose God’s grace?

John 3:16: whoever believes in him has eternal life
John 10:27-28: God gives eternal life to his sheep and they shall never perish or snatched out of God’s hand
Ephesians 1:13: when we hear and believe the gospel, we are marked with a seal of the Holy Spirit, who’s a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance

How about believers that live in habitual sin? Can they lose God’s salvation grace?

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (ESV).

Does grace manifest only in good things? Or can grace be seen through difficulties?

Sometimes God allows bad things to happen in our lives to prepare us for bigger things in life. E.g. Joseph was sold by his brothers as a slave and imprisoned and his life prepared him to become Pharaoh’s right-hand man and he blesses Israel through that role
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (ESV). This verse explains how bad things happen so God’s grace can be shown to others.
Discipline is also part of God’s grace. Hebrews 12:11: for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (ESV)

Is God’s mercy infinite? Can it run out?

Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (ESV)
John 1:16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace (ESV)

What’s the difference between grace and mercy?

Exodus 34:6 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (ESV)
Mercy is withholding a punishment that is deserved or a very bad thing that someone could do to you, but does not
Grace gives a good thing that is not deserved

Is grace unmerited? Are there things that we can do to get more grace?

The gift of salvation is free and unmerited, we can’t earn it
But we can position ourselves to receive God’s blessings – e.g. the joy and peace knowing that we have an all-powerful God loving us – can be obtained through communion with God. Through Bible reading and prayer. In short, there are things that we can do to flourish as Christians.
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (ESV)
We cannot get more grace, but we can grow in grace
We can turn on the faucet, but we can’t make the water flow. God’s grace is like that – there’s ongoing supply but we can access it by turning the faucet on
Blessings in the Christian life can flow when we have obedience

Does grace mean we’re free to sin?

Romans 6:1-2 6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? (ESV)

What are some examples of common grace and saving grace?

Common grace: conscience, nature, sun, moral values
Saving grace: the gospel of good news, the Holy Spirit, God’s grace at work in our lives

What is the definition of means of grace?

Ways in which God gives grace: the Word. John Frame explains them as “channels by which God gives spiritual power to his church).
This includes God’s Word, meditation, prayer, fellowship and even suffering

What does the Bible have to say about giving yourself grace?

2 Cor 12:9: But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (ESV)
The Bible points to God as the provider of all the grace we need for our lives, so we must go back to him to access grace

How does operating under grace different from the law?

Law constricts us and demands unattainable perfection, grace frees us to do good in the world

What does the Bible say about showing grace to others?

Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV)
Luke 6:27-28 But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. (ESV)
Describe a time when you need God’s grace the most. How did it turn out?
From this discussion, what is the biggest thing you learn about God? His character, plan, values, promises, desires and ways?
What do you learn about yourself and others in this world?
How should I change my thinking or living based on today’s discussion?
How should I pray in light of what I’ve learned about grace?
What promise of God that I need to meditate on?
How does this discussion change the way I engage with my friends? What are some ways that you could extend grace to others?
For all the changes that need to happen above – what are the hurdles that will need to be overcome? How do I overcome that?

Source: David Guzik commentaries and interlinear studies from blueletterbible.org, www.desiringgod.com

The Samaritan Woman – Bible Study Questions and Outline

Verse reference Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman is recorded only in the gospel of John. The Samaritan woman bible verse can be found in…

How to go to Heaven

How to get right with god.

Law vs. grace—why is there so much conflict among Christians on the issue?

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Two men. One an Old Testament prophet, chosen by God to preach repentance and mercy to a tough crowd. One a New Testament believer, chosen by God to preach repentance and mercy in the midst of a tough crowd. One would run away from the Lord. One would run to him. One would speak fewer than ten words of warning. One would preach a sermon on his deathbed. One would be furious about God’s mercy toward his enemies. One would call upon God’s mercy for his enemies. One was full of bitterness and anger. One was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. And that made all the difference.

Many people know the story of Jonah, or they think they do—he was the guy who was swallowed up by a whale, right? Well, technically it was a big fish, but that’s only one part of the story. The Lord came to Jonah and said, “Go to Nineveh and preach.” So Jonah went . . . hundreds of miles in the opposite direction. He jumped on a boat heading to Spain. That’s where the big storm came up, and he was tossed overboard and swallowed up by the fish, where he stayed for three days before God made the fish vomit him up onto dry land. And then the Lord said again, “Go to Nineveh.”

This time Jonah obeyed, but still reluctantly. He walked into the city, and in one of the lamest attempts of prophesying ever recorded, he said, “You’ve got 40 days.” Jonah basically did his best to make sure they wouldn’t repent and receive forgiveness. But to Jonah’s surprise, the Ninevites repented, fasted, and called “urgently on God” (Jonah 3:8). And then, much to Jonah’s chagrin, God had compassion on them “and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened” (verse 10). This man of God who had just recently been delivered from the belly of a fish, saved from drowning and forgiven for his cowardice and disobedience . . . this man now became angry at the Lord’s compassion for his enemies, the Ninevites. He said, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (4:2). So far so good, right? But instead of praising God for those qualities from which he had just benefited, Jonah followed it up with this: “Now, L ord , take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live” (4:3). The Lord, slow to anger, had mercy on Jonah’s enemies. Jonah, quick to anger, would rather die than see his enemies forgiven. And that’s how his story ends.

The story of Stephen is not quite as well known. You’ll find it in the Bible book of Acts, and we are introduced to Stephen as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). Back story—Jesus had died, had risen from the dead, and had ascended into heaven. The early Christian church was growing by leaps and bounds, despite the persecution it faced daily, and there was more work than the disciples could handle. So Stephen was chosen to help further the kingdom, and we are told that “Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people” (6:8). It didn’t take long for him to attract the attention of some enemies, and soon he was seized and brought before the Sanhedrin on false charges, a bit reminiscent of the Savior in whose name he did miracles. After an impassioned speech containing Old Testament history and a well-deserved tongue-lashing for the Jewish leaders, Stephen was dragged out of the city and stoned to death. But before he died, Stephen fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (7:60). As he was getting pummeled with stones from his enemies, Stephen called for God’s mercy and forgiveness upon them, again reminiscent of his Savior’s words on the cross (Luke 23:34). And that’s how his story ends.

Jonah. Stephen. A reluctant prophet praying for his enemies’ destruction. A willing servant praying for his enemies’ salvation. Full of anger and bitterness. Full of faith and the Spirit. Which are we? Does it give us satisfaction when our enemies get what’s coming to them? Do we withhold forgiveness and forget that we too desperately need and receive that same forgiveness from God?

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31,32)

It’s not an easy thing to forgive others, especially those whom we believe deserve our wrath and God’s. If we have been hurt, we think holding on to that resentment and anger will punish that person for what they did wrong. But it is really like swallowing a burning poison. We are only hurting ourselves. Jonah was only hurting himself with his anger and bitterness. Stephen prayed for God’s mercy and forgiveness on his enemies, and he died peacefully in the arms of his Savior.

Two men. Two very different hearts. And a God who forgives and forgives and forgives.

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About the Author

Missy martens.

Missy lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with her husband, Jon, where they own and run Copper State Brewing Company. She homeschools their four active children, oftentimes at the brewery, and they somehow keep learning in spite of her. Missy loves witty banter, adventures of all sorts, and coffee . . . lots of coffee. And Jesus . . . lots of Jesus.

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A Lot of Grace - Today's Insight - May 3, 2024

“My spirit is crushed, and my life is nearly snuffed out. The grave is ready to receive me. I am surrounded by mockers. I watch how bitterly they taunt me. You must defend my innocence, O God, since no one else will stand up for me." ( Job 17:1-3 )

You know why I love the Bible? Because it's so real. There's a lot of fog rolling into Job's life, just as in our lives. On this earth nobody "lives happily ever after." That line is a huge fairy tale. You're living in a dream world if you're waiting for things to be "happy ever after." That's why we need grace. Marriage doesn't get easier, it gets harder. So we need grace to keep it together. Work doesn't get easier, it gets more complicated, so we need grace to stay on the job. Childrearing doesn't get easier. You who have babies one, two, three years old—you think you've got it tough. Wait until they're fourteen. Or eighteen. Talk about needing grace!

I'll be painfully honest here. If I called the shots, I would have relieved Job five minutes after he lost everything. I'd have brought all his kids back to life the very next day. I would have immediately re-created everything he lost, and I would really deal with those sorry comforters! I'd have cut the lips off of Eliphaz after about three sentences. And if that didn't stop him, I'd take the neck. I mean, who needs that clod? But you know what? You would never mature under my kind of treatment. You'd just enjoy the comfort. We'd all go to picnics then on a motorcycle ride and have tons of fun. That's my style. Which explains why Cynthia says to me, "Honey, if everybody handled things like you wanted, all we'd bring to the party is balloons . Nobody would think to bring the food." As usual, she's right.

So, the fog's rolled in. As all hell breaks loose, grace takes a hike. Welcome to the human race, Job. But the wonderful old song says,

Thru many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home. 1

That's the ticket. Even in the fog, grace will lead us home.

"Amazing Grace," John Newton. Public Domain.

what god wants from you todays insight january 2024 banner

Listen to today's broadcast of Insight for Living with Chuck Swindoll at OnePlace.com. Visit the Bible-teaching ministry of Chuck Swindoll at www.insight.org .

Humanity’s plight gets bleaker as John’s revelatory vision continues with one-third of people on earth wiped out by demonic destruction.

Pastor Chuck Swindoll explains the apocalyptic events in Revelation 9:13–21 and explores why those remaining still refuse to repent.

Learn valuable lessons on human depravity and supernatural activity from these future events. You'll discover how the end times are connected to the broader story of redemption and will feel compelled to proclaim the ultimate hope Jesus Christ offers!

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Melisa Rhedrick-Singh's Newly Released 'God's Grace is Sufficient' is a
POWERFUL GRACE OF GOD!!
Watch: Grace
6 Fascinating Characteristics of God's Grace
6 Fascinating Characteristics of God's Grace
What Does the Bible Teach About Grace?

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The Transformative Power of Grace: A Life-Changing Lesson
Story Of A Life Transformed By God's Grace #jesus #bible #holyspirit #christianity #god
God's Grace
Are You ABUSING The Grace Of God‼️😰
Who Did Jesus Come to Call?
Complete Culture Change

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Anger and God's Grace: A Case Study
Journal of Biblical Counseling 14:3. In this article, an anonymous author describes first person testimonial from a man with an anger problem. He details two incidents, the turning point, how he was able to obey and what make the difference. He concludes with a discussion of present struggles and ongoing growth in the area of anger.
God's Grace
The purpose of God's grace is for Christians to grow closer to Him, recognizing their human limitations. 3. "We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are" ( Acts 15:11 ). God's grace is an essential component for everyday life and foundational to the Christian faith.
"I Caught It!" A Story of God's Grace
A Story of God's Grace. May 14, 2021 / Pastor Tim. Fresh Manna. by Pastor Tim Burt. One morning, at my discipleship breakfast, one of the guys in my group told us a great story about an encounter with his young son. As I listened to this story, God spoke to my heart and believe He will speak to yours also. I thought I would share it with you!
God's Grace Is Mind-Blowing
This is why reading the Bible and communing with God is essential to Christian flourishing. The less we read and pray the Bible, the more blemished our view of God becomes. If you want the grace of God to blow your mind again, read your Bibles. Phillip Holmes ( @PhillipMHolmes) served as a content strategist at desiringGod.org.
Lesson 9: The Beauty Of God's Grace (2 Samuel 9; 16:1-4; 19:24-30)
1. Grace seeks us where we're at. God's grace initiates the relationship. He does not wait around for us to come to Him. In fact, we cannot and do not come to God in and of ourselves. God seeks us out and finds us where we're at. As C. S. Lewis put it, I never had the experience of looking for God.
What Is Grace?
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.
Lesson 8: How Grace Works (Titus 2:11-14)
1. God's grace brings salvation to all people (2:11). When Paul writes, "For the grace of God has appeared," he is referring to the embodiment of grace in the person of Jesus Christ, who was "full of grace and truth" ( John 1:14 ). It is not that God's grace is missing from the Old Testament.
Grace: Why It's So Amazing and Awesome
The amazing and awesome nature of God's grace to us in Christ is seen in the four reigns Paul described in Romans 5. First, there is the reign of sin (vs. 21) and then the reign of death (vss. 14, 17), but, by God's grace, there is the reign of believers (vs. 17) through the reign of grace through God's righteousness unto eternal life (vs. 21).
Psalm 105: Our Response to God's Sovereign Grace
1. In His sovereign grace, God has chosen us and has His hand upon us, even through our trials (105:8-44). The psalmist attributes everything in Israel's history to God's sovereign purpose. You can see this in the repeated use of the pronoun "He." "He has remembered His covenant …, the word which He commanded" (v. 8).
Experiencing the Riches of God's Grace
Because of "the riches of his grace," which he has showered on us for no other reason than his extravagant love for us. The Creator of heaven and earth chose us, predestined us, and redeemed us. As we walk with him, he walks with us, comforting and blessing us, delivering and sustaining us. In Ephesians 1, Paul invites us into the very throne ...
Understanding Grace in Scripture: The Transformative Force of God's
The New Testament illuminates grace further, especially in the person of Jesus Christ. John 1:14 speaks of Jesus in terms of grace, stating, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.". Additionally, John 1:16 affirms ...
8. The Grace of God, Part I (Ephesians 1:5-12; 2:1-10)
Serving grace is the enablement to minister in such a way as to manifest the life of our Lord through the saints as members of His body. It refers to acts of generosity and giving (cf. Acts 4:33 ff.; 2 Corinthians 8:1 ff.). It specifically refers to spiritual gifts (the term "gift" is a derivative of the word "grace").
Lesson 5: God's Grace
Lesson 5: God's Grace. In our lessons so far, you have learned these truths about your Father God. God is the sovereign ruler of His creation. He rules it with supreme authority and power. God's power is more powerful than anything or anyone else in the entire universe. God's presence is everywhere at the same time.
PDF BIBLE STUDY: THE GRACE OF GOD
We are saved by grace: Ephesians 2:8 and note 82; Titus 2:11 and notes 112 through 114. We have peace: Romans 1:7 and note 72; 1 Peter 5:14 and note 141. We reign in God's divine life over all negave things: Romans 5:17, 21 and notes 171, 173, and 212. We are empowered, made strong: 2 Timothy 2:1 and note 11.
What Is God's Grace? (7 powerful truths About The Grace Of God)
God's grace brings us into his family; we are God's children, heirs to the throne. 5. God's Grace Brings Us Closer To Our Father. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. Many view God's grace as a "get out of hell free" card or access to eternal life.
7 Beautiful Examples of God's Grace in the Old Testament
Sometimes there were lasting consequences for their poor decisions, but God showed more grace than was deserved (over and over and over again). 6. Rahab bravely asked God to save her (in spite of her past sins) and He did! "The Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below (Josh. 2:11b).".
Bible Study About God's Grace with Life Application
Eternal life is a sure thing! The Bible says that this believers " hope " is steadfast and as sure as an anchor (Heb 6:19). I pray that this Bible study has allowed you to understand the simplicity and practical application of grace in every believer's life. Sources: The Holy Bible, King James Version.
Surprised by Grace (2 Samuel 9) by H.B. Charles, Jr.
That's a good definition of grace. Grace is the smiling face of God. Grace communicates God's acceptance, approval, and affirmation. God's grace means that we have to fear the judgment, wrath, and condemnation of God. In John 10:28-30, Jesus says: "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand ...
Grace and Mercy
Topical Studies. The Glorious, Life Altering Difference Between Grace and Mercy. In his mercy God withholds WHAT WE DO DESERVE; in his grace God heaps upon us infinite blessings WE DO NOT DESERVE. In mercy he withholds what we DID MERIT - eternal wrath; and in grace pours out upon us what we COULD NEVER MERIT: Eternal life, infinite joy ...
In Depth Teaching On The Grace of God
The best way to look at this revelation is to look at it like you are looking at a two-sided coin. On the one side of the coin the grace of God is the "unmerited favor and mercy" of God. This is the grace that we are saved by with the Lord. As you will see in the first verse I will list below, we are saved by "grace" through our faith ...
Bible Study Questions about Grace
Grace is the enabling gift of God not to sin. Grace is power, not just pardon.". Through God's grace, we are capable of taking the steps to avoid sin. Paul says in 1 Cor 15:10 that he is who he is due to God's grace and he " worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.".
Law vs. grace-why is there so much conflict among Christians on the
Jesus embodied the perfect balance between grace and the Law (John 1:14). God has always been full of grace (Psalm 116:5; Joel 2:13), and people have always been saved by faith in God (Genesis 15:6). God did not change between the Old and New Testaments (Numbers 23:19; Psalm 55:19). The same God who gave the Law also gave Jesus (John 3:16).
To forgive or not to forgive: A case study
To forgive or not to forgive: A case study. by Missy Martens. March 22, 2021. Two men. One an Old Testament prophet, chosen by God to preach repentance and mercy to a tough crowd. One a New Testament believer, chosen by God to preach repentance and mercy in the midst of a tough crowd. One would run away from the Lord.
A Lot of Grace
As all hell breaks loose, grace takes a hike. Welcome to the human race, Job. But the wonderful old song says, Thru many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home. 1. That's the ticket. Even in the fog, grace will lead us home.