The grace of God

Rev Sarah Nyathi Open Heavens
GRACE is an essential element of the Christian faith.  Christians will often use jargon such as “by the grace of God”, “the grace of God is upon my life”, “I am saved by grace”. It is in this light that I wish to examine the grace of God so that we can have a full appreciation of this tenet of the Christian faith. Grace is generally understood to be God’s unmerited favour.  The word grace is derived from the Greek word “charis”— which means “pure joy or pleasure”.

The idea of charis referred to an act carried out to another person that was pleasurable but underserved, out of the utmost and greatest joy.

TD Jakes states that “grace is the utmost joy and pleasure though undeserved.  It is the attitude in which God provided our salvation”, and I add the attitude in which He continues to bless and provide for us.  Grace was truly personified at the cross of Calvary where man’s totally depraved nature and absolute need for a Saviour is met with the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection. The “pure joy and pleasure”, grace, or charis of God himself brought faith to the human race.

Hebrews 12: 2

Looking unto Jesus the author and perfector of faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sits down at the right hand of the Father.

Things to note about grace

We are not beneficiaries of the grace of God because we are deserving.  There is nothing that you can do or attempt to pay to be deserving of God’s grace.  Grace manifests itself in several forms:

1. The grace for salvation.
2. Grace that opens heaven to pour out His amazing and underserved mercy and favour.
3. Grace that gives us the strength to endure difficult circumstances.

There will never be a day when God stops pouring His grace on us.  Believers grow from glory to glory and grace to grace.  Grace is also the ability to endure difficult circumstances even though they may not change.  Grace is the key that unlocks faith for salvation, favour, blessing, prosperity resulting in influence.

Salvation and grace

Grace for salvation results in three things taking place in our lives.
Justification — the guilt and penalty associated with our sin is revoked.

Sanctification — through time and process, God helps us to develop a lifestyle that embraces a holy manner of living. (This process of sanctification is no longer emphasised in Pentecostal doctrine. A lack of teaching on sanctification has produced a mediocre Christian with little regard for holy living)).

Glorification — at the resurrection the full transaction of our bodies into resurrected, immortal bodies.

These three words give us a full description of Christ’s grace towards us:
Justified — when we receive Christ as saviour.
Sanctified — while we live on earth.
Glorified — in the future at the resurrection.
Grace however was not only manifest in the New Testament. Throughout the Old Testament grace was operating in the lives of the Patriarchs.
Old Testament precedence of Grace

Noah found grace in the eyes of God.  God repented having created man and wanted to destroy the world.  Through the grace of God he was spared along with his spouse and three sons and their wives.

Joseph experienced the grace of God throughout his life. As a boy he was singled out by the father amongst his eleven siblings.  Grace followed him as a slave in Potiphar’s house, pursued him as a prisoner in Egypt. Grace followed him the day he stood before Pharaoh and upheld   him as he saved the nation of Israel during his term of office as prime minister of Egypt.

Grace upheld Esther when she was selected to be one of the virgins who would stand before the king. Grace pursued her as she received favour from the eunuchs as she was being prepared for the king, and through grace she experienced favour as she  stood before the king. The scriptures state that the king loved her more than all the other virgins.

Grace was upon Ruth the Moabitess.  Moabites were despised by the Jews as they were the descendants of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter.  Boaz a wealthy land owner selected her from among the maidens harvesting in his field.   Grace was like a spotlight that shone on her.  Boaz could not ignore her, he sought her out inquiring of who she was. It was this very same grace that took a despised Moabitess exalted her such that she is named amongst the ancestry of Jesus Christ.

Grace is given to us when we are least deserving. As God extends His charis  towards us He derives “pure joy and pleasure.  Charis  is pleasurable but undeserved. When you look back at your life and ask yourself a few questions.

Questions to ask yourself:

Why God saved you in your family and amongst your friends?
Why did you survive many dangerous and potentially fatal situations?
Why you prosper more than your brethren?
Why your peers have died and you are still alive?
Why God blesses you even when you don’t deserve it?
Why God continues to extend His mercy to you even when you sin?

YOU KNOW IT IS GRACE “CHARIS”!

Going through difficult times does not mean that grace charis has lifted, rather it is God who is refining you and preparing you for your next level.  The life of Joseph illustrated this.  In each stage of his life God continued to prepare him.  In some instances he experienced difficult, trying circumstances  yet God’s grace never lifted from his life. Not in the pit, nor in the slave caravan, not in Potiphar’s house when falsely accused, not even in prison when he was forgotten….. God’s mercy and grace came through all the time and shone on him like a spot light. Grace will make you stand out, it will be impossible to ignore you.  Favour, blessing and definition are a  direct result of “charis”.

“Charis – God’s pure joy and pleasure to do good to one who is undeserving. ”