Unmerited favor from God

The term “grace” has multiple meanings. A person who reacts calmly to unfavorable situations possesses a special grace. In loan agreements, a “grace period” may be offered to repay borrowed money. Stephen, an early church deacon, was described as being “full of grace” when stoned to death for his testimony (Acts 6: 8). Next, we’ll focus on the “grace” which only God can grant.

God destroyed the world with a flood because it had become so evil. Yet, the repopulated earth grew even more evil. During Moses’ time, animal sacrifices were instituted to forgive sin (Leviticus, chapters 1-7). These sacrifices proved ineffective because sin only increased. Thus, God made a new covenant with man, saying: “I will put My Law into their minds and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31: 31-34).

Paul addresses God’s grace in Ephesians 2:8: “For by GRACE you have been saved through FAITH. And this is not your OWN DOING; it is the GIFT of GOD, not of WORKS.” No good deeds can merit God’s saving grace. Neither can good works produce salvation. Faith is based on Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sins. Humans could have been created as automatons that couldn’t sin, but the Creator chose to create mankind with the freedom to choose right from wrong. As possessors of free will, 70% of the world’s population rejects Jesus as Lord and Savior. I refer to such religions as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism and the list goes on.

No person on earth today has seen Jesus. None of us were bystanders in Jerusalem on Passover Friday in 30 A.D. to see Jesus die on the cross. We did not go inside Jesus’ tomb on that first Easter morning to find it empty. Hence, our faith is predicated on the testimony of the four gospels and Pauline epistles. Reinforcing our belief is II Timothy 3:16, which declares, “All scripture is inspired by God.”

Had Jesus not risen from the dead, the New Testament would not be written. Matthew 20:17-20 informs that Jesus foreknew that crucifixion and death would result from His upcoming trip to Jerusalem. He said to His disciples: “the Son of Man will be arrested by the chief priests. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles (Pilate and his soldiers) to be mocked, flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!” Acts 1:1-3 confirms that Jesus arose from the dead. It states: “Jesus was seen alive for 40 days by many infallible proofs.” Since Romans 3:23 declares, “All men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” Christ offered His divine, sinless blood as a sacrifice for our sins–so that we might be saved through faith in Him.

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