G-r-a-c-e
God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense
This is a beautiful acronym for grace. We are recipients of God’s riches because of the cost (“expense”) paid at Calvary – none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, himself.
Grace, as you may know, is another word for favor.
The first occurrence of grace in the Bible is found in Genesis 6:8 – “… Noah found grace [favor] in the eyes of the Lord.”
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). God’s grace is the basis by which we are saved.
Our salvation is based on what the Lord Jesus Christ did, not on anything we have done – it truly is favor, unmerited, from God. All we had to do was repent and believe – “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31)
John describes The Lord Jesus as full of grace and truth – “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
Paul, the apostle, used it in his greeting as well as in his benedictions in many of the epistles. Look at Ephesians, for example. He begins by saying, “Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:2), then ends the epistle with, “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.” (Ephesians 6:24)
There are so many more verses that speak about grace –
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)
“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:7)
As mentioned in The Expanded Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, “The fact that grace is received both from God the Father – 2 Corinthians 1:12 – and from Christ – Galatians 1:6; Romans 5:15 (where both are mentioned), is a testimony to the Deity of Christ.” (These three verses follow).
“For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.” (2 Corinthians 1:12)
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:” (Galatians 1:6)
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (Romans 5:15)
You’ll remember that Paul, in order to be kept from becoming proud or boastful from the revelations and visions he had, was given a “thorn in the flesh.” What was this thorn? It is not certain, but there is speculation that it had to do with his eyesight. Three times he asked the Lord to take the thorn away. The Lord responded by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul then said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
So, his thorn in the flesh was not removed, but he was given grace from the Lord to deal with it, going forward.
There is a beautiful hymn by Annie Johnson Flint called “He Giveth More Grace.” Maybe you are familiar with it. Here are the lyrics –
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
I wonder if Annie Flint was influenced by this verse – “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” (James 4:6)