What is the favor of God, and how can I get it?

"It just means this, that the man who works ought to get his pay; and in no sense regard it as a favour, because he has earned it. On the other hand, if a man ceases working for salvation, and just simply believes in God who justifies the ungodly on the principle of faith, his faith is counted to him for righteousness. Now observe, John, it is the 'ungodly' that get the blessing, those who don't deserve it, and who have not earned it, so that it may be by 'grace' or 'favour,' which is God's way of acting towards us. Now God acts in grace — the activity of His own nature of love after we have 'sinned and come short of his glory,' and on the righteous ground which the finished work of His own beloved Son affords Him. That grace blesses, and justifies the vilest, and most hell-deserving sinner, who, turning away from himself and his own doings, trusts simply in Jesus, having faith in His blood, and in God who sent Him to be the Saviour of the world."

In Old Testament times God had given His law. However, this only made it evident that man is entirely unable to meet any of His requirements. Now, in the dispensation of grace, God no longer acts on the basis of law. He no longer says: ‘Do this and you shall live’. It is God who opens His heart in order to bless us. This is seen in Ephesians 1, where Paul uses two expressions that touch our hearts. He speaks about the riches of God’s grace, which is connected to our salvation, and the glory of His grace, which is connected to our heavenly blessings, such as adoption and being children of God (Eph. 1:6–7). Grace never sets up fences or conditions. Grace will only be received by faith. It is the God of grace who acts graciously towards us — we who did not deserve His wonderful blessings. The hand that receives God’s blessing from our side is faith.

Both Paul and Peter speak of our standing in grace before God, the former saying in Roman 5:2, "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand." God has not only cleared us of every charge of guilt, but has brought us into His favour, and this is not because of anything that we have done, but because of His own sovereign love; and faith has appropriated this wondrous blessing. Israel stood before God on the ground of law; the Christian's standing is in divine grace. Israel's blessing depended on what they could do: ours rests on what Christ has done. Every blessing that God has given us is on account of His unmerited favour, and has been procured for us by the shedding of the precious blood of Jesus.

The dictionary tells us that grace is unmerited favour; but God’s grace to the sinner who believes is more: it is favour for the one who merited judgment; and further still, according to the riches of that grace, as well as to the praise of the glory of it, believers are taken into Divine favour as sons, through the redeeming work of Christ; they are “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6-7). Mephibosheth by royal favour dwelt at the palace of the king “as one of the king’s sons,” but today we “are all the sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” The fact is, we are treated not according to our deserts, but according to what God’s beloved Son deserves.

Peace stands first amongst the blessings of the Gospel. It heads the list but does not exhaust the list. Faith not only conducts us into peace but also gives us access into the grace or favour of God. We are in the favour of God. We know it and enter upon the enjoyment of it by faith. It is not stated here what the character of this favour is. We know, from Ephesians 1:6, that it is the favour of the Beloved. No favour could be higher and more intimate than that.

This favour is a present reality. We shall never be more in favour than we are now, though our enjoyment of it will be greatly increased in the day when our hope materializes. Our hope is not merely glory but the glory of God. Who would not rejoice with such a hope as that!

[2] The believer on the Lord Jesus Christ stands in God’s favour and can never fall out of it. He is in Christ. Will Christ ever fall out of the favour of God? That is impossible. We do not seek to follow the Lord in order to obtain the favour of God but because we are in the enjoyment of it and want to please Him in all things.

His presence brings with it the favour we seek. The verse continues in the Hebrew: “ … favour me according to Thy Word.” This is a petition which the Christian need not pray. We do not have to ask God to be favourable to us, for He has abundantly shown His favour. Paul says: “To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6). “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand … ” (Rom. 5:2). The Psalmist asks nothing beyond what God has revealed: “ … according to Thy Word.”

Certainly we come to think of it as being the free, unmerited favour of God. "The God of all grace" — what fulness there! What may we not expect from Him?

We are all “vessels of mercy.” Could there be any more beautiful name for a Christian than a “vessel” which God has chartered with us on a voyage to glory? Mercy means kindness, loving kindness, and always supposes need on the part of its recipients. It is love stooping to bless, to bless those who have no claim upon it; it is the display of one of the most precious attributes of our God. He is both rich and abundant in mercy; His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. Psalm 136, tells us it was the secret of Israel’s blessing; Ephesians 2:4 reminds us that our blessings have their source in mercy.

"The Lord is good to all" (Ps. 145:9). Sweet dewdrops are on the thistle, as well as on the rose. God's mercy is free. To set up merit is to destroy mercy. Nothing can deserve mercy, nor force it. We may force God to punish us, but not to love us. "I will love them freely" (Hosea 14:4). Every link in the chain of salvation is wrought and interwoven with free grace. Election is free. "He has chosen us in Him … according to the good pleasure of His will" (Eph. 1:4-5). Justification is free, "Being justified freely by His grace" (Rom. 3:24). Salvation is free, "According to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5). Say not then, I am unworthy; for mercy is free. If God should show mercy to such only as are worthy, He would show none at all. … God's mercy is an overflowing mercy; it is infinite: "Plenteous in mercy" (Ps. 86:5). "Rich in mercy" (Eph. 2:4). "Multitude of Thy tender mercies" (Ps. 51:1). The vial of wrath drops, but the fountain of mercy runs. … God has morning mercies, His mercies "are new every morning" (Lam. 3:23). He has night mercies, "In the night His song shall be with me" (Ps. 42:8). God's mercy is eternal, "The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting" (Ps. 103:17). As His mercy is overflowing so it is everflowing.