Grace is key attribute of God and is that which most distinguishes the description of God in the Bible from the supreme beings conceived in other religions. The full significance of God's grace stretches human comprehension beyond its limits.
Some of the wonderful old Gospel hymns such as "Amazing Grace" express many of the benefits of grace. Even so, any expressions of song or poetry can only touch the tip of the iceberg of grace. The literal and basic translation of the word grace is very simple, "to show kindness, favor and acceptance without regard to the merits of the one receiving it." Unfortunately, this definition does not do justice to the depth of its meaning nor of the great benefits derived from its exercise.
The word is frequently used in the New Testament where the message of Jesus himself is called the Gospel of Grace. The New Testament also makes it clear that the grace of God is the foundation of all hope for forgiveness and immortality in the eternal and beautiful place called heaven. The Apostle Paul writes in his Epistle to the Ephesians, 2:8, "For by grace are you saved through faith."
God's grace was most fully demonstrated in the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God in human flesh, to the world. Jesus gave His sinless life in suffering and death so that we human creatures who often make wrong and selfish decisions and habitually rebel against obviously clear moral conduct would not have to bear eternal guilt and the consequences of our sins and wrongdoing. The doctrine called redemption.
There is more good news about grace. The effects of God's grace applies in very practical ways to the human experience in this life as well as in the area of the life to come.
It was the confession of the great Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians, 12:1-7, that he was given some sort of weakness or flaw. He called it a thorn in the flesh. What it was no one knows for sure. What we do know is that we can all relate to some nagging chronic, persistent issue in our lives that greatly distracts and hinders us from being, what we might consider, the best scenario for success.
We are told that the Apostle constantly wrestled with this distracting issue. He took it to serious prayer not just once, but on three different occasions pleading with God to remove it. God answered his prayer, but not by removal of the thorn and whatever it symbolized. It was an answer of these words, "My grace is sufficient for you."
From that moment Paul began to see the negatives in his life as positives and his liabilities as assets. The application of grace made all the difference.
-- Pastor Gene Holman of Living Word Fellowship in Gardnerville is a member of Carson Valley Ministers' Association.
