{"id":44094,"date":"2020-11-12T01:55:04","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T22:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=44094"},"modified":"2025-05-05T12:11:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T09:11:10","slug":"what-is-grace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2020\/11\/12\/what-is-grace\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Grace?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In simple terms, <\/span>grace<\/strong> is <\/span>undeserved favor<\/strong>\u2014being given something good even though you didn\u2019t earn it or deserve it. Biblically, grace is God\u2019s kindness toward humanity, not based on our works or righteousness, but on His own love and mercy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)<\/strong>
\u201cFor it is by grace you have been saved, through faith\u2014and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God\u2014not by works<\/strong>, so that no one can boast.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

There are two kinds of favor: one with a reason<\/strong> and one without a reason<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As human beings, we usually show favor with a reason<\/strong>\u2014we are kind to people we know, people who are good to us, or who offer us something in return, like our family or close friends. But it\u2019s rare\u2014almost impossible\u2014for a human to show favor to someone who doesn\u2019t deserve it, especially someone who offends or harms us.<\/p>\n

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Romans 5:7-8 (NIV)<\/strong>
\u201cVery rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That\u2019s the difference between human favor<\/strong> and divine grace<\/strong>. God\u2019s grace isn\u2019t based on our goodness. It\u2019s based on His character\u2014He chooses to love us even when we don\u2019t deserve it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Understanding Grace Through a Parable<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To understand grace more clearly, Jesus told a parable in Matthew 20:1\u201316<\/strong>. In it, a landowner hires workers at different times throughout the day\u2014some in the morning, some at noon, and others just an hour before the day ends. Yet at the end of the day, he pays everyone the same wage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Matthew 20:13\u201315 (NIV)<\/strong>
\u201cBut he answered one of them, \u2018I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn\u2019t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don\u2019t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?<\/strong>\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The lesson? Grace isn’t about fairness\u2014it’s about generosity.<\/strong> The latecomers didn\u2019t earn equal pay\u2014but they received it because of the landowner\u2019s kindness. That\u2019s how grace works: God gives us what we don\u2019t deserve.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Greatest Example of Grace: Eternal Life<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The most powerful act of grace ever shown to humanity is this: God gave us eternal life through Jesus Christ<\/strong>. After the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, humanity became separated from God. We didn\u2019t deserve another chance.<\/p>\n

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Romans 3:23-24 (NIV)<\/strong>
\u201cFor all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

God could have left us in our sin and started over\u2014but instead, He chose to save us<\/strong>. Not because we begged Him. Not because we impressed Him. But simply because He is gracious.<\/p>\n

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Titus 3:5-7 (NIV)<\/strong>
\u201cHe saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy<\/strong>. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit\u2026 so that, having been justified by his grace<\/strong>, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Responding to Grace: Don\u2019t Take It Lightly<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If we\u2019ve been saved purely by God\u2019s grace, then we should never take it for granted. Sadly, some people treat the grace of God lightly\u2014as if it\u2019s cheap or automatic.<\/p>\n

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Hebrews 2:3 (NIV)<\/strong>
\u201cHow shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Hebrews 10:29 (NIV)<\/strong>
\u201cHow much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot\u2026 and who has insulted the Spirit of grace<\/strong>?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Grace is a gift<\/strong>, but it\u2019s not something to be abused. There will come a time when this opportunity ends\u2014when Christ returns and judgment begins. On that day, people will realize that grace was their only hope\u2014and that rejecting it was their greatest mistake.<\/p>\n

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Today Is the Day of Grace<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Friend, don\u2019t waste the grace of God. If you haven\u2019t yet received Jesus Christ, today is the day<\/strong>. He is at the door of your heart, ready to enter and give you eternal life.<\/p>\n

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Revelation 3:20 (NIV)<\/strong>
\u201cHere I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

If you\u2019re ready, pray and repent of your sins. Turn away from them completely and trust in Jesus for your salvation.<\/p>\n

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John 1:14 (NIV)<\/strong>
\u201cThe 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<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Final Encouragement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

May the grace of Christ<\/strong> remain with us all.<\/p>\n

Maranatha<\/strong>\u2014The Lord is coming!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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