The 'grace' of God, what does it mean?

[FriendofJonathan]

21 minutes ago, Retrobyter said:

Shalom, @FriendofJonathan.

Sure, but how should that affect OUR point of view? We DON'T know who will be justified and who will not! That's GOD'S business, and, frankly, it's NONE of our business! As I've said, "He's NOT TELLING!"

So, from our perspective, we just need to know that ANYONE could and may be justified by God! Thus, it is STILL our job to tell EVERYONE about God's forgiveness and justification! We don't have the option of writing off anyone, nor should we consider someone entirely a lost cause!

Amen. 

[TheBlade]

Grace.. the song I am listening to "How many times" Sanctus Real...  Listening at the same moment I read this thread. Makes me cry

How many times have I chosen to go my own way?
Trying to fight, then I fall for the same old mistakes
How many times have I found myself lost and afraid?
Where it feels like I might never get it together, there I remember

How many times you've picked up my pieces
How many times my heart you've redeemed it
All of my life you've never left my side

No matter how many times you gave second chances
How many times you've held my hand through all of my life
And you still love me, how can it be?
With how many times, how many times

I have chosen to run from your grace
And you've proven that I have never been too far away
You always come running, running after me
How can you love, love a mess like me, a mess like me?

With how many times you've picked up my pieces
How many times my heart you've redeemed it
All of my life you've never left my side

No matter how many times you gave second chances
How many times you've held my hand through all of my life
And you still love me, how can it be?
With how many times, how many times

Grace, grace, God's grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace, God's grace
Grace that is greater than all our sin

How many times you've picked up my pieces
How many times my heart you've redeemed it
All of my life you've never left my side

No matter how many times you gave second chances
How many times you've held my hand through all of my life
And you still love me, how can it be?
With how many times, how many times

Grace, grace, God's grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace, God's grace
Grace that is greater than all our sin

Grace, grace, God's grace
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within
Grace, grace, God's grace
Grace that is greater than all our sin

Edited March 10 by TheBlade

[farouk]

On 3/3/2025 at 9:59 PM, Grace Aggrey-Fynn said:

Titus chapter 2 verse 11-15: 'For the grace of God that brings salvation, has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, EAGER TO DO WHAT IS GOOD. These then are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.'

 

In general, what is the meaning of grace? Grace means favour, or favoritism. When someone does something for you out of his love or preference for you. So, what does it mean to have the grace of God? That means God has chosen you above everyone else, to offer you salvation. To offer you a way out of your sins. That is the meaning of God's grace or favour upon your life.

In John chapter 14 verse 6, Jesus says, "No one can come to the Father except through me." That means that if Jesus does not favour you above others, to call you towards himself, and his Father, you can never obtain salvation. You can never come out of your sins. Salvation means being saved from sin and its consequences.

An excellent example of God's grace or favour can be found in the book of Acts chapter 9, where it talks about the story of Saul on the road to Damascus. When you start reading from verse 3, that is Acts chapter 9 verse 3, it says, 'As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And he fell on the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul who do you persecute me?"

"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.

"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." Jesus replied.

From this short conversation, we learn that Saul was not aware of his sins. He did not know that what he had been doing, that is, attacking the Christians or followers of Christ, or believers of Christ, was a sin. Saul was brought up in Judaism. and to him, that was the only way to God. However, when Jesus encountered him, he let him know, or made him aware that what he had been doing was a sin!

So, Jesus favoured Saul for salvation. He granted him his grace, in order that he would be free of sin. When the grace of Jesus, or the grace of God comes upon you, it makes you aware of your sin. And once you gain that awareness, once you realize how dirty you appear, once you realize the burden that you have been carrying around all your life, your next step would naturally be to accept Jesus as the one who can remove that burden of sin from you. You would want to be clean! You would want to be free! You would want to be born again!

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 says that, 'We are saved by grace - not good works.' That means, it is God who calls us out of our sins, not our own good deeds. We cannot obtain freedom from sin if we simply do good things. Good things such as donating food items or money, being respectful of people, especially those older than us. Even being a good wife or husband, cannot help you obtain salvation.

In Romans chapter 3 verse 22, the Lord lets us know the kind of righteousness that can lead to salvation. It says, This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe. Therefore, the only way to be saved, is to be righteous in the way of God, by believing in Jesus Christ.

Now, how do you believe in Jesus Christ? You cannot believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, unless he first calls you. It says that no one can come to the Father, except through Jesus. And you cannot come to Jesus, except he calls you. Remember that Saul could never have become a Christian if Jesus had not met him on the road to Damascus and called him out of his sins.

Now, when Jesus calls you, he makes you aware that you are a sinner. Once you become aware of your sins, that is when you will want him to heal you of those sins. Jesus is a doctor! He is a great physician who can cure every kind of disease, that is sin. You cannot be made aware of your sins, your disease, and ask for Jesus to heal you, and then return to that disease again.

lThe grace of God does not mean continue to sin, and God will have mercy on you. The grace of God means, God has chosen you for salvation, and once he has made you aware of your sins, you need to follow his path, alone.

Romans chapter 6 verse 1 says, 'What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?' By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?'

In Galatians chapter 2 verse 20, Paul says, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Romans chapter 10 verse 9 says, 'if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.' Most people believe that this is all it takes to obtain salvation, and a ticket to heaven.

In James chapter 2 verse 19 the bible says, 'You believe that there's one God, good. Even the demons believe and shudder!' When you confess that Jesus is Lord, you admit that you are a sinner and that he is the one who can set you free from sin. Your journey to being redeemed starts with you confessing that you are indeed a sinner. If you have confessed your sins and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that God raised him from the dead, then the next step will be to follow Jesus by obeying his teachings in the bible.

In Galatians chapter 5 verse 22, we learn about the fruits of the Spirit of God. That means the things that show that the Spirit of God is within us, after we have confessed and believed in Jesus. Self-control, Patience, Kindness, Faithfulness and Gentleness are some of them. The opposite of the spirit of God, is the spirit of the devil which produces things like Sexual Immorality, Fits of Rage, Drunkenness Discord, Witchcraft, and Orgies.

The bible lets us know in Galatians chapter 6 verse 7, Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, whatever a man sows so shall he reap. Verse 8 says that, The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. On the other hand, the one who sows to please the Spirit of God, will reap eternal life.

In Romans chapter 12 verse 1 to 2, it says, "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship."

In verse 2 it says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

What does this mean? It means that you need to make a consciousness decision to change the way you think, in order to be able to truly accept the Lord Jesus Christ. You need to change how you think about sin. Don't say, it's okay if I dress this way because I have accepted Jesus in my heart. And the bible says that it is by grace that we are saved. So Jesus does not require me to change my way of life.

In reading Romans chapter 12 verse 1 again, it says, Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy." If God has favoured you for salvation, then you need to abstain from sin. 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 says, 'If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, and the new has come.' Therefore, you cannot claim to be saved and on your way to heaven, just be confessing with your tongue and believing that Jesus is Lord. You need to change your ways!

Romans chapter 8 verse 14 says that, All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. If you are being led by the Spirit of God or the Lord Jesus, then you will naturally abstain from the desires of the flesh. Some of which are fornication, lies, swindling, evil thoughts, greed, envy and jealously.

In conclusion, the grace of God calls you out of sin. It makes you aware of your sins and when you become aware of the filth or darkness that you are living in, you would naturally want to come into the light. You cannot come into the light of God, and then want to remain in sin. If God's grace makes you free to sin, then why does it says in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9 to 11, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor the idol worshippers, adulterers, male prostitutes, or homosexual offenders will inherit the kingdom of God."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi @Grace Aggrey-Fynn (Great first name, right?)

grace = unmerited favour.

mercy = the withholding of something deserved.

[lrs68]

The title of this thread is what does the Grace of God mean?

 

First of all, we must look at the Love of God.   What does the Love of God cause Him to do?

 

We know the Love of God causes God to be Merciful.  We also know the Mercy of God's Love eventually brings Grace.

 

... For God so LOVED He sent...

Mercy is God choosing not to give us what we deserve.

Grace is the action of God taking our place in what we deserve.

[farouk]

21 hours ago, lrs68 said:

Mercy is God choosing not to give us what we deserve.

Grace is the action of God taking our place in what we deserve.

Hi @lrs68 Good points there...........

[farouk]

Hi @lrs68 The Epistle to the Ephesians indeed contains a wondrous exposition of the Gospel of the grace of God.

"All of grace, yes, grace surpassing,
Such a portion to bestow;
But the love all knowledge passing,
Grace has called us now to know;
Love that bore the stripes and sorrow,
Love that suffered on the tree,
Love that shares the bright to-morrow
With the loved ones, you and me." (T H Reynolds)

[InChristsLight]

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Gal 5,22

I really like this verse. It shows a clear path and antidote for sin. When I have to take a look at my character defects, by pursuing one of these fruits I can focus on healing that aspect of my life to be a better Christian.