Grace – Its Richness and Sufficiency

Grace, basically, means “gift.” With regard to God’s grace, this gift is beyond anyone’s expectations since it is the unmerited favor of God toward those who do not deserve it. Webster’s Dictionary (1975) defines grace as “unmerited divine assistance given to man for his regeneration and sanctification.”

Divine grace is a gift provided by God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 1:2, To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:4, I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

Romans 1:7, to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:14, 16-17, And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth . . . For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

Salvation (forgiveness of sins) and resultant justification (judged to be righteous or “just as if I’ve never sinned”) are made possible through grace.

Ephesians 1:7. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

Ephesians 2:8, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Romans 3:23-24, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Grace is the sustaining empowerment that enables believers to deny ungodliness and live righteously.

Titus 2:11-12, For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

Believers are privileged to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.

2 Peter 3:18, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Grace is the basis for ministry to others.

Romans 12:6, Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly . . .

1 Peter 4:10, As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Grace allows believers to persevere in every aspect of life.

Acts 20:32, And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10, And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

The bountiful richness of grace, provided through God’s kindness in Christ, will be realized by believers throughout eternity.

Ephesians 2:4-7, But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Believers have been divinely granted love, comfort, and hope by grace and, as a result, are supernaturally enabled to be spiritually effective.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.

The Apostle Paul reminds believers that “we are what we are” in Christ and “we do what we do” for Him by God’s grace.

1 Corinthians 15:10, But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

God’s grace is never withheld nor diminished from those who live in a manner that pleases Him.

Psalm 84:11, For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

_____

GRACE © 2011 WordTruth, Inc—Verses takes from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved