God is Gracious

The song Amazing Grace is known by believers and unbelievers alike. It is in the top three songs played on the bagpipes. It is one of the most sung or played songs at funerals along with Frank Sinatra’s My Way. What a sad juxtaposition, and yet, it highlights the difference between those who receive and rest in God’s grace and those who rely on self.

As often as we may sing Amazing Grace, maybe even tear-up while doing so, do we daily meditate on God’s amazing grace and the amazing gracious God who gives that grace? Do we truly believe His amazing grace is amazing, so that we respond with praise and gratitude to God for it and share it with others? Are we running to God’s amazing grace each day as we fight sin? Are we being gracious with others as God has been amazingly gracious with us? Or has God’s amazing grace become simply a nostalgic, feel-good hymn we sing from the pew a few times a year?

Perhaps we need to be reminded what it means that God is gracious, and we need to dwell in His grace. We should begin with defining God’s grace? Here are a few helpful definitions:

Mark Jones describes God’s grace as God’s “tendency to freely show favor to creatures who do not deserve it…He expresses such grace in both his attitude toward us and his relationship with us.”^[1]

A.W. Pink explains: “Divine grace is the sovereign and saving favor of God exercised in the blessings He lavishes upon those who have no merit in themselves and for which no compensation is demanded fromthem. Further, the favor of God is shown to these who not only deserve nothing positive on their own, but who are thoroughly ill-deserving and hell-deserving. God’s grace is completely unmerited and unsought, and is not attracted by anything in, or from, or by the objects upon which it is bestowed.”^[2]

A.W. Tozer writes: “Grace is that in God which brings into favor one justly in disfavor.”^[3]

God bestows grace because He is gracious all the time. It is His nature flowing from His goodness which is also His nature. God cannot be anything but gracious. Because graciousness is God’s nature, God relates to all mankind with grace to some degree. There has never been nor will ever be any meanness or ill will in Him.

Now let’s consider what Scripture says about God’s gracious nature.

“⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ⁹He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. ¹⁰He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. ¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; ¹²as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. ¹³As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. ¹⁴For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:8-14).

“¹⁵But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. ¹⁶Turn to me and be gracious to me; give strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. ¹⁷Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me” (Psalm 86:15-17). Favor in verse 17 is God’s goodness which is part of His grace.

In both passages, we see that God is gracious, and He relates to us with grace. His grace abounds more than sin (Romans 5:20). His grace, as illustrated in the above verses, is in perfect harmony with all His other attributes.

Next, let’s weigh some characteristics of God’s grace.

• God’s grace is eternal because He is eternal, and graciousness is who He is. “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:9, emphasis added).

• God’s grace is a free gift. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24, emphasis added). If we could earn grace or merit grace in some way, then it would not be grace.

• God’s grace is also sovereign because His grace is bestowed at His pleasure. “Moses said, ‘Please show me your glory.’ And he said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name “The Lord.” And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy’” (Exodus 33:18-19, emphasis added).

Based on John 1:17, some argue that grace is only in the New Testament or from Jesus going forward. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” First, grace comes only and has ever only come through, in, and by Jesus.

“But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died, through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many…For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ… Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:15, 17, 20-21).

“to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6, emphasis added). Grace comes only through, in, and by Jesus.

Second, to interpret John 1:17 to mean there was no grace in the Old Testament is to misinterpret it. We have already read two verses from Psalms that testify to God’s graciousness. We know that God is immutable, so if He is gracious and deals graciously with mankind in the New Testament, then He dealt thus with mankind in Moses’ day. But, we can look at more evidence.

Noah – “But Noah found favor (hēn, grace) in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8).

Moses – “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor (hēn, grace) in my sight, and I know you by name’” (Exodus 33:17).

Abraham – God’s call to Abraham to leave his father’s land and go to a new land was unmerited. It was God’s initiative not Abraham’s merit. God made a covenant with Abraham to bless him with a son even though Abraham was old and Sarah was barren. God promised to make Abraham into a great nation and that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:1-3).

David – He was the youngest and the least of his brothers tending sheep not fighting the Philistines. Yet, God chose him, protected him, made him king of Israel, and promised that the Messiah would come through David’s line and establish a kingdom that would endure forever (1 Chronicles 17:11-14; 2 Chronicles 6:16).

There are many more examples we could look at, but the point is that God is gracious, He always has been, and He always will be. His grace did not begin with Jesus, but rather, it was fully revealed in Jesus. God has been gracious from eternity.

We have discussed God’s graciousness in broad terms, but God’s grace can be divided into two specific means: common grace and saving grace. First, God is gracious through His common grace. Common grace is God’s grace, good kindness, and blessing shown to everyone, both believers and unbelievers (Psalm 145:8-9). Common grace is common because it is shown to all people. It is grace because it is undeserved.

Common grace can be further divided into three categories: God’s moral, physical, and intellectual blessings:^[4] Relating to God’s moral blessings, man is totally depraved, affecting the total man, but God has not allowed man to be as sinful as is possible. He restrains our sinful nature (Genesis 4:15; 11:6-9; 20:6; 2 Thess. 2:7). God has also given us a conscience, a sense of right and wrong (Romans 2:14-16). This God’s common grace to all people.

God’s physical blessings are given in things like the sun and rain: “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Physical blessings come through the gifts of marriage, children (Psalm 127:3), and government (Romans 13:1).

God’s intellectual blessings mean that believers and unbelievers can know true and useful information. For example, the knowledge to build a car with all its components or a pharmacist with knowledge of different medicines. However, common grace is not a guarantee that all statements, observations, interpretations, and solutions made by unbelievers are correct.

All mankind benefits from common grace by living in a world that is not in complete chaos. Our world functions. Additionally, the advances in technology from the knowledge God has blessed man with has served to further the spread of the Gospel.

Common grace is distinct from saving grace. It does not tell us about sin and salvation, neither is it part of the process of salvation. Further, common grace does not instruct us in how to live rightly.

Second, God is gracious to save those who place their faith in Christ alone for their salvation. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Leading up to these verses, Paul detailed our state apart from God – dead in our trespasses and sins, following the course of this world and Satan, living in the passion of our flesh, and children of wrath. But God’s mercy and grace (Ephesians 2:1-4).

G.S. Bishop also described our state apart from God’s grace: “Grace is a provision for men who are so fallen that they cannot lift the ax of justice, so corrupt that they cannot change their own natures, so averse to God that they cannot turn to Him, so blind that they cannot see Him, so deaf that they cannot hear Him, and so dead that He himself must open their graves and lift them into resurrection.”^[5]

The cross is where God lavished His amazing grace through the sacrificial death of His Son. Jesus bore the Father’s wrath, so we would know forgiveness and be clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. Jesus was rejected, so we never would be. He died an agonizing death, so we could be raised to new life in Him. Jesus rose from the dead, so we would also one day have life eternal with Him.

Charles Spurgeon aptly penned: “When we put our foot upon the threshold of glory, and pass through the gate of pearl to the golden pavement of the heavenly city, the last step will be as much taken through the grace of God, as was the first step when we turned unto our great Father in our rags and misery. Left by the grace of God for a single moment, we would perish. We are dependent as much upon grace for spiritual life as we are upon the air we breathe for this natural life.”^[6]

God’s amazing grace should never be dwindled down to mouthing the words of a hymn. We need to believe His amazing grace is through, in, and by Jesus’ atoning death and accept this immeasurable gift of grace. We should treasure His amazing grace. Be in awe of it. Teach and preach it. Sing it. Share it. Live it.

Reflection

1.    As you think what you profess regarding God’s amazing grace, how does it compare to the way you live daily? What fruit of God’s amazing grace is in your life, words, actions, and thoughts? Where are you lacking the fruit of God’s grace?

2.    What is something about God’s common grace that amazes you? Why? What about His saving grace amazes you? Thank Him!

3.    How does God’s grace give you comfort, encouragement, and/or hope in a current circumstance?

4.    Share an example of God’s grace in your own life. Remembering God’s past grace helps us live in His present grace.

For Further Study

1.    Those who have experienced God’s saving grace, then know His grace in other blessings. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11).

“But he said to me, ‘My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

How do these verses (and any others you find) help you think of God’s amazing grace at work in other ways in your life?

2.    How does grace impact pride (1 Corinthians 15:10)? What should be our response to grace (Romans 12:3; John 3:27)?

3.    What other Biblical examples can you find that depict God’s grace?

4.    Memorize one of the verses from “God Is Gracious”.

5.    Write out a prayer praising God for His grace. Thank Him for a specific way His grace has brought you comfort, hope, or encouragement.

6.    Because of God’s grace through, in, and by Jesus, you can with confidence come before the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16). How does this encourage you to come before God’s throne of grace in confession or with a need?

Listen to or read the lyrics for “Amazing Grace”, “Good and Gracious King” by CityAlight, “Grace” by CityAlight, “This is Amazing Grace” by Phil Wickham, “And Can it Be”, “Grace That is Greater” by Sovereign Grace Music, “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” by Chris Tomlin, “Your Grace is Enough” by Matt Maher, and “Grace Is Sufficient” by Shane & Shane.

^[1] Jones, Mark. God Is: A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 178-179.

^[2] Pink, A.W. The Attributes of GOD In Modern English. (Dolores Kimball, 2020), 77-78.

^[3] Tozer, A.W. The Attributes of God Volume 1: A Journey Into the Father’s Heart (Camp Hill, PA: Wing Spread Publishers, 1997), 99.

^[4] Theologians have different categories, but they include the same information. I used Heath Lambert’s categories.

^[5] Pink, A.W. The Attributes of GOD In Modern English. (Dolores Kimball, 2020), 83.

^[6] Jones, Mark. God Is: A Devotional Guide to the Attributes of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 182.