What is the grace of God?

God’s grace is unmerited favour. It expresses itself in the fact that God’s attitude towards the sinner is irrespective of anything favourable in the sinner. It is blessing without conditions.

The usual definition of grace — "unmerited favour" — does not suffice as a description of the grace of God. A coin given to a wayside beggar is grace in the usual and human sense, but there is little in common between such a deed and the gracious ways of God as revealed in the Gospel. We would prefer to define divine grace as the active exercise of love towards those who have no claim.

What does grace mean to you, my reader? People talk of grace and sing of being “saved by grace,” who are all the time trusting in their own righteousness and building their hopes for eternity on their own zeal and earnestness. They never seem to consider the meaning of grace; otherwise they would not use the word with their lips and by their actions deny it. Grace is the very opposite of merit. If I think of merit, I see only an eternal hell of woe before my guilty soul because of my sin (Romans 6:23). But when I think of grace, I turn from all thoughts of what I deserve and contemplate the matchless love of God which caused Him, the offended One, to give His only begotten Son to die for me, the offender, that, confiding in Him, I might be eternally saved. Thus I see that grace is not only undeserved favor, but it is favor shown to one who has deserved the very opposite. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9)—this is Paul’s own statement of salvation by grace. It was thus he was saved, and in the same way are they all who sail with Paul. It is my purpose in this pamphlet to trace out some of the precious truths Paul was chosen to make known for our eternal blessing. Only let each reader be sure he or she is one who sails with Paul, for to none other do they apply.

What is grace? I have never yet heard an adequate definition, and never expect to! For grace is the way God acts in showing His favour to sinners, who do not deserve it in the smallest degree. Grace is the way God acts, not as measuring and meeting our need as sinners, but who with lavish hand blesses us according to what He is in His very nature.

This is a blessed and comprehensive statement of the gospel and Christianity. It may be looked upon as embodying all the great apostle taught in his God-revealed gospel, in a practical way. The grace of God hath appeared, and it appeared in the person of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. In Him His grace is made known. His finished work is the source of it. It flows from the cross. And this grace comes to man with salvation. It brings salvation, not to a certain class of men, but it brings salvation for all men. Because all men are lost, and therefore in need of salvation, unable to save themselves; the grace of God bringing an unconditional, a perfect and eternal salvation hath appeared, offering that salvation to all. And when this salvation is accepted by faith in the Son of God and the believing sinner is saved by grace, the same grace teaches how to live and walk here below in newness of life.

When God acts in grace, it is never at the expense of His holiness. God is love and therefore acts in grace, but He is also light and therefore acts in holiness. His acting in grace needs a righteous foundation and He has found it in the cross of the Lord Jesus. Therefore Paul writes to the Romans: ‘I am not ashamed of the glad tidings; for it is God’s power to salvation, to everyone that believes, both to Jew first and to Greek: for righteousness of God is revealed therein, on the principle of faith, to faith: according as it is written, But the just shall live by faith’ (Rom. 1:16–17). Our Saviour’s cross reveals the glory of His grace but shows at the same time how holy and righteous God is. He smote and judged His beloved Son in absolute righteousness when the burden of our sins was on Him. It is this that enables Him now to justify everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour.

God offers His salvation to men. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews calls it a ‘great salvation’ (2:3). Truly, it is great! Jude had it on his heart ‘to write to you of our common salvation’ (v. 3). We should never forget that all those who believe the gospel of grace receive exactly the same salvation. Our appreciation of God’s grace and salvation may differ, but there is no difference in the salvation itself. God’s grace is the same for all who believe. It is indeed blessed to meditate on the various aspects of this salvation that grace has brought to us.

But the grace received becomes teaching in those who are the subjects of the salvation which it brings. It teaches us "that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." And here, I observe, it is "the grace" that teaches, and not something else. It is not man's wisdom, or man's morality, mixing itself with that which is divine in his salvation, and, I may add, divine in the nature which it imparts. It is the grace which brought the salvation still acting - but acting now in the subjects of it, and on the divine nature which it imparts. They are not human motives, which form and fashion and produce the morality of a Christian, any more than it is human power that accomplishes his salvation. It is "the grace of God" that teaches him as well as saves him.

It is not according to their obedience to law. God's sovereign power and will must come in, for under law there was complete breakdown, and God is not now dealing upon such a principle. “And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” The two cannot be mixed. If I work for wages it is no grace on the part of my employer to pay me my wages. Or if I insist on working to merit a gift that has been graciously offered me, I make it no longer a gracious gift: I insult the gift and turn it into a mere wage: I show no appreciation of grace.

Grace has reference to what GOD is, and not to what we are, except indeed that the very greatness of our sins does but magnify the extent of the "Grace of God." At the same time, we must remember that the object and necessary effect of grace is to bring our souls into communion with God - to sanctify us, by bringing the soul to know God, and to love Him; therefore the knowledge of grace is the true source of sanctification.

Now verses 11 to 14 show us beautifully that which is basic to all proper character and conduct. The grace of God has appeared, bearing with it salvation for all men. How great a contrast is this to the law of God, which was addressed, not to all men, but to Israel alone, a law too which demanded obedience, but brought no salvation: indeed rather brought condemnation. But grace brings salvation unlimited, though certainly only appropriated by those who receive the Lord Jesus as Savior. For grace would not be grace if it were to force itself on anyone. What is freely given must be freely received if it is to be beneficial at all. Grace is the pure, unadulterated favor of God, favor to those proven to be both guilty and enemies of God. Of course, to receive it, one must realize his need of it. It has come in the person of Christ, and by virtue of the great sacrifice of Himself.