The meaning of grace
We have in diverse ways and means offered things to people or received something from someone else which we do not work for, nor paid for it; this is called grace. But the sad news is that all the things that we received or offered freely are temporary and finite. In this post, we shall discuss a good deal about divine grace.The grace of God is a mega theme in the Bible; it floods the entire Bible. Let us study the following verses in the Kingdom Constitution. As every man hath received the gift, even so, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1Pet. 4:10)
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. (1Pet. 5:10)
We may learn that the grace of God varied and are many. Even though the grace of God is one, it has several divisions. It could be compared to watermelon which is divided into several segments but becomes whole when brought together.
These days when people define grace, they limit it to the saving grace. Many people define the grace of God as “unmerited favor of God toward mankind”. This definition does not only under define and limited it to the saving grace but also contains a needless repetition of words, “unmerited “and “favor”; a tautology.
Unmerited means something you don’t deserve, so also is favor –kindness, gift which means something given to you freely. Both words carry the same meaning and should not be used together. If you deserve favor, a kindness or a gift, then, that which you received is no more favor, a gift or a kindness; that means you paid or worked for it. Or do we have favor which is deserved or a gift that is merited? I stand to be corrected though.
The concept of grace is beyond the human imagination; we cannot completely comprehend it. The truth is that the grace of God cannot be defined, though we may somehow try to define its varieties. If we define the grace of God, we would surely limit it to what we know. Grace originates from God, it is infinite, it is in abundance, it cannot be sold, it is indispensable and it cuts across every facet of our daily lives both Christians and non-Christians. Where there is a favor, gift, mercy, and kindness, there, grace is.
The types of grace
The grace of God can be grouped into two; the Universal or the Common grace and the Christian grace. The universal or the common graces as the name suggest is benefited by all human race; the majority is limited to Christians only, and that is the Christian grace.
The common /universal grace
This is the grace God has for all human beings; it is common, everyone benefits from it, hence universal. God is the originator of life and the sustainer of it thereof (cf. Acts 17: 25). It is a gift from Him to us, whether we acknowledge him or not. “...He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” and “causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth” (Matt .5:45; Psalm 104:14).God could have wiped out the human race because we all went against Him; but for His common grace, He spared our lives, expecting men to embrace His saving grace.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2Pet.3:9)
This verse means God has given more time to his own people, whom he has chosen before the foundation of the world. Some are yet to be converted; God sustains their lives in order for them to come to the saving grace.
The saving grace
“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved ;). And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”. (Eph 2:5-8)This is what comes to the minds of most people whenever grace is being mentioned; the saving grace is just one of the segments of the grace God. The saving grace is the first of the Christian graces; it is through this grace that a Christian gets access to the rest of the Christian grace.
One of the attributes of this type of grace is that it is based on condition, therefore, it discriminates. The saving grace is what distinguishes between a Christian and a non-Christian. It is those who accept these conditions as stated in the Kingdom constitution that benefits from this type of grace. This makes the saving grace not to be common even though the offer is made to everyone. Upon the acceptance of the conditions attached, the saving grace makes one be a Kingdom citizen; one is added to the church by God Himself. All the benefits and privileges of Kingdom citizenship are given to all who become one.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. (Eph. 1:3)
The Sanctifying grace
This is the grace that works within a Christian. After being born again, a Christian is expected to live a Christ-like life. But as humans, as we are, we are weak and fallible. The sanctifying grace continues to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and make us blameless till Christ comes again the second time. It is not automatic that the sanctifying grace works within a Christian but we must allow it. A Christian must strive to do good always if we sin and repented, we're sanctified by the grace of God.But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jn 1:7-9)
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Thess. 5:23)
The serving grace
As every man hath received the gift, even so, minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1Pe 4:10)The serving grace is many and varied in itself; Christians have been endowed with so many gifts. These gifts are to be used to serve one another in the church. The serving grace works within a Christian and flows out to others to give grace to them. Remember, anywhere a gift is, grace is there.
Some have the gift of ushering, ministration of the word, evangelism, healing, generosity, hospitality, and so many others for the edification of the church. The miraculous grace is a subset of the serving grace, giving to the first century Christians to confirm the gospel of Christ so that people may come to repentance. Christians are remaindered that we are just stewards of God’s varied grace; we would be punished if the gifts are not used at all or are used wrongly in serving others.
“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will”. (1Co 12:4-11)
The sustaining grace
The sustaining grace helps Christians in times of need, trials, and afflictions. After a person has been translated from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light, God does not leave him alone. He continues to sustain him in this perverse and crooked generation. All those who are Kingdom citizens have access to the King; they can, therefore, approach Him in times of need by prayer through faith and God would supply all their needs. In a prayer to His father, Jesus Christ asked that God should keep His chosen from the evil one (cf. John 17: 15).The Hebrew writer says “let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb.4:16
The Apostle Paul’s calamity has not been removed but received enough support from the Lord to sustain him.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2Co 12:9)
Read also:
How to become a Citizen of the Kingdom of God
The Eternal grace
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. (Tit. 1:2)What all Christians are hoping for is the eternal dwelling with the King of the Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ; for their citizenship is in heaven. After receiving the saving grace, a Christian is not done. He has to continue to grow in the grace to sustain the journey here on earth, serve or minister with the gifts he receives, remain a doer of the will of the King for sanctification when he goes astray, and hope for the eternal grace.
It must be noted that if a Christian does not continue to be faithful, he may certainly lose his citizenship in the Kingdom of God and so lost the eternal grace. The Christian life is compared to those who run in a race for a prize. The runners run according to the rules of the game, if not, they may be disqualified. No prize is given to anyone who does not run the race to the end.
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible”. (1Co 9:24-25)
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13-14)
The Apostle Peter wrote, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”. (1Pet. 1:13)
The eternal grace is the consolation of Christians. “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” (Heb 6:18)
In all, the grace enjoyed by a non-Christian is limited to the common grace, but a Christian is privileged and therefore benefits from all the types of the grace of God.
Have you accepted the conditions of the saving grace to pave way for other graces of God?
All scriptures are taken from the King James Version (KJV).
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