The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
I’m going to break this scripture down into three posts. Today, we will talk about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the New Testament, the “grace of the Lord Jesus Christ ” encompasses several profound and interconnected meanings:
Unmerited Favor: Grace is often understood as the unmerited favor and love of God toward humanity. This means that grace is a gift from God that cannot be earned by human effort or goodness. It is freely given out of God’s love and mercy.
Salvation: One of the most significant aspects of Christ’s grace is the provision of salvation. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for humanity to be reconciled with God. Passages such as Ephesians 2:8-9 highlight that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. I want to emphasize here that grace is not by works. Grace does not come from how much you read your Bible, attend church, help others, give, fast, or pray. Grace comes from Jesus. It is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we walk in, not our grace, but His grace.
Empowerment for Living: Grace also refers to the power and strength given to believers to live a godly life. (Once again, His power.) It is not just about forgiveness of sins but also about enabling believers to live in a way that pleases God. For instance, 2 Corinthians 12:9 speaks of Christ’s grace being sufficient, with His power made perfect in weakness.
Transformation: The grace of Christ is transformative, leading to a change in the believer’s life. Titus 2:11-12 explains that the grace of God teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. How does grace teach us to say no? It teaches us that we have no power in ourselves over ungodliness and worldly passions and so on. Grace will teach you by allowing you to wallow in your own abilities that you think will deliver you or make you a better Christian. Grace will teach you that you cannot overcome any addiction in your own strength. Grace will teach you that you have nothing to offer in your relationship with God. If you are failing over and over again in an area of your life, if you’re full of shame and regret because there is an area in your life that you cannot conquer, grace is teaching you that you cannot conquer this area in your own strength. You need God. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told clients to take the Lord with them when they are sinning. Don’t pretend He’s not there. He’s there; He knows what you’re doing, He knows what you’re thinking. And he loves you unconditionally with no judgment and total acceptance in that moment of your sin. That is mercy. Why not acknowledge to him how much you enjoy what you’re doing and how embarrassing it is to you and then ask Him to give you His strength to overcome whatever is controlling your life? Grace does not give you permission to sin. Grace teaches you that you cannot stop your sin.
How does grace teach us? Better yet, what does grace teach us? I’m sure it sounds like that I am repeating myself but I cannot emphasize enough the power of Grace in our life. Grace teaches us that we do not have the power to overcome anything in our lives. Grace teaches us that all our power lies in Jesus. There are areas in every believer’s life that they cannot conquer or control. Even the apostle Paul prayed, asking the Lord to help him in an area, and the Lord responded, “My grace is sufficient.” Grace will teach you that you need a higher power. Grace will teach you that you cannot serve the Lord in your own strength. I’ve heard so many stories of someone trying to stop smoking, stop drinking, stop lying, and on and on but were not able to stop. Finally, after giving up, they turned to the Lord and said, “I can’t, I need you.” At that moment, grace takes over, and God does it for you. Whatever is in your life that is haunting you, controlling you, or defeating you, maybe it’s because you tried to do it in your own power. Maybe it’s time to turn to the Lord and give it to Him, whatever it is. That’s what grace is all about. He will do it for us. All we have to do is give it all to Him. Grace teaches us that we are powerless.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is a central theme in the New Testament, reflecting the depth of God’s love and the transformative power of His salvation and ongoing support in the believer’s life.
Our Relationship with God: Grace signifies the restoration and deepening on the relationship between God and humanity. Through Christ’s grace, believers are adopted into God’s family and become heirs of His promises (Romans 8:15-17)
