He Gives Grace
When I looked up the definition of grace, I found two definitions that I liked: 1) undeserved favor and 2) an unmerited gift of the divine favor in the salvation of sinners, and the divine influence operating in individuals for their regeneration and sanctification. Grace is something that we were gifted that serves different purposes such as salvation, regeneration and sanctification just as the definition says. But today we are going to learn about different graces God has gifted us that I think are important: saving grace, enabling/serving grace, and sustaining grace.
Saving grace is the redeeming grace of God. It is the grace that allows us to become born again. Everything we have was, is, and will always be because of grace. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works…” (Ephesians 2:8-9) God has chosen to save us sinners, not based on what we’ve done, but because of His saving grace and His kindness. Using the first definition from above, being “saved by grace” means we are saved by the underserved favor of God which is brought upon us through faith. The grace that saves is the reason we have life to begin with.
I believe that enabling grace and serving grace go hand in hand. Enabling grace assists us in doing whatever God requires or asks of us and it helps us be “enough” for the responsibility of the task. (Ephesians 2:10) Serving grace helps us use our gifts to provide service to others and to God. (1 Peter 4:10) We could never do things on our own. Serving God and His people was never an easy task to begin with. God gives us enabling and serving grace to serve in ways we could never have served if we didn’t have God. He placed a purpose on your life. He gives you many tasks and missions to embark on. He knows that you would need help to fulfill those things.
The last one is sustaining grace. A verse I love so much comes from 2 Corinthians 12:9 when Jesus said “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Christian life is not about the subtraction of suffering, but rather it is the addition of grace to go through suffering. All Christians have a weakness in their life to be strengthened. Christians may suffer because of that weakness, but our God who gives us sustaining grace helps us power through for His greater purpose. His sustaining grace will help us delight in our hardships, because when we are weak, we know that by His grace and by His word, we are strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)
“Saved by grace, not by might.” He gives grace to those who ask for it. He gives grace to those who don’t deserve it. He gives grace because that’s who He is… a gracious God. Amen.
