Basics: An Overview

                                                        Basics: Grace

By definition, grace is graciousness, of a manner or act, the divine influence upon the heart, and its
reflection in the life. Thus, a good working definition for grace is: God’s changing influence.

In one of the most fundamental verses of all Christianity, grace is found up-front and center . . .

                                  For by grace you have been saved through faith . . .

The very foundation of salvation, your deliverance from the dominion of sin and self, is based on grace
– the changing influence of God. And that is exactly what God desires to do – influence you to
change. A good description of that grace-change is found in Titus 2:11-12, it reads:

     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 . . .

Grace brings salvation. This means that only the change wrought by God will deliver you from sin.
God’s grace is actively instructing us to be delivered, to repent, and to be different from this world.
This application of the cross of Christ is a dying to self, a dying to this world and all it holds dear.

Understand that this is a grace-change, not a self-change. No self-help formula can replace the
influence of God on your life. Though you may be able to alter outward actions to some degree –
there will be no real deliverance from the inward sickness of sin. Only God can bring true rescue for
your soul, and He does it through a grace-relationship.

There are many, however, who treat God’s grace as if it were mere mercy. The thought is that God’s
grace – as mercy – will excuse their sin but not require them to change. You see, when grace is
mercy, it becomes a license to sin; when grace is mercy, it becomes an excuse to retain self-will and
self-justification; and when grace is mercy, it can be used to justify a lifestyle of unrepentant sin. But
the fact is that Jesus’ blood doesn’t just overlook or passively hide your sin – His blood actively
washes away the choice to swerve from Him.

This world is not about you, it is about the God who created it. It is for His glory that you exist – not
yours. It is for His purpose you should live – not your own. And if you don’t learn to trust what God
reveals to you – you will have encountered His grace-influence in vain.

1. James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Dictionary of the Greek Testament,
copyright 1990 by Thomas Nelson Publishers, #5485.
2. Ephesians 2:8 NASU
3. Jude 4 NIV