“Grace is unmerited favour, our inheritance major, because we cherish the Saviour” declared Shai Linne in his theologically bountiful song “The Atonement Q&A”.
Grace: God’s Unmerited Favour
John 1:1 declares that “the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The aforementioned scripture challenges one to expound on grace, because many who profess Christ are not acquainted with it, nor do they exude it.
Grace is central to Christianity. Without grace, no one can become a Christian. Philippians 2:8 states that “we are saved by grace”. Grace is one of those words that believers have taken lightly and reduced to a cliché.
The Transforming Power of Grace
We need to take time to ponder the depth of its magnitude and extract the richness it contains. “We need a moment-by-moment supply of oxygen for physical survival and we need a moment-by-moment supply of grace for soul survival,” as shared by Dr Harry Kraus in his book Breathing Grace: What You Need More Than Your Next Breath.
The Greek word for grace, “Charis,” also means the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in life, including gratitude. When you have grace at work in you, it changes the kind of person you are. This change begins on the inside and when it has affected an individual, it will surely reflect on the exterior.
When we become aware of the sufficiency of grace, we will not complain about the places where we find ourselves in life because in 2 Corinthians 12:9, God declares, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Grace That Sustains Us
Thayer’s dictionary describes grace as “good will, loving-kindness, favour of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.
Former slaver trader, John Newton understood that Christianity is initiated and sustained by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He penned these beautiful lyrics: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sounds that saved a wretch like me.” Grace is not just amazing but also contagious.
Originally published in the print edition of DIVINE Magazine, Issue 01.
