Okay so, I am teaching a Bible study on a topic totally different than grace.  But there, right in the middle of this study popped up a really great section on grace.  What is it? We usually have a hard time defining grace.

Grace is unmerited favor.  Grace is a free gift from God.  We see all these small definitions and these kind of are right, but grace is so much more than that!  These I want to call definitions in a box.  Small, contrite, but they never get to the utter vastness or hugeness or awesomeness of God’s grace.

So let’s start here:  2 Corinthians 9:8  “God is able to make ALL grace abound toward you so that in ALL things at ALL times having ALL that you need you will abound in EVERY good work.    This tells me that grace is everything we will need from every aspect to do what God has for us to do.  (Ephesians 2:10)

But what does that entail?  God’s grace is sufficient for us in our weakness.  (2 Corinthians 12:9) This implies that grace gives us strength or that it is strength.  You can take it to the bank that this is a true statement.  I am the weakest of all, and yet here I stand because of God’s grace.  He makes me strong and lifts my head.

I’m not sure why, but the fact that He lifts my head when I don’t feel good enough to look at Him has always struck me as totally personal.  I see a child in trouble with their head down in front of a loving parent.  I see that parent put his/her finger under the chin of that poor, scared, little child and lift his head.  And I see a look of pure love on the parent’s face while the child is standing there in utter amazement because while He/she is standing in guilt, the parent loves them and forgives them.  Shoot, I’m making myself cry!

So because I am strong, God gives me a job in regards to grace.  Hebrews 12:15a says, “See to it that NO ONE comes short of the grace of God.”  Wow!  That’s a tall order.  I am also to share about grace and lead others if they are beginning to fall short.

And in Romans 5:2ab “Jesus through whom we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace by which we stand”.  We get our grace from our faith in Jesus.  And again this one implies that it holds us secure and strong and makes us able to stand.

Along those same lines, in  Ephesians 2:8-9 it tells us that “For by grace you have been saved by faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works so that no one may boast”.

All of these works of grace call out just how weak we are.  How we cannot stand alone.  How we can do nothing without God’s grace.  And how everyone needs this grace.

I think Beth Moore said it best, “Succinctly put, grace is unmerited favor.  Confining it is where we get into trouble.  No category exists where grace is ill fit.  It is the medicine that heals our bitterness (Hebrews 12:5).  It is the floor where fallen people can come to their feet and stand (Romans 5:2)  It is substance.  It is sufficiency.  It is joy.  And it is strength.  You have a provider who wants you to more than a survivor.”  (Beth Moore Entrusted Study).  And because He wants you to be more, do more, He provides you with grace to get ‘er done!

So today, when you feel weak, or guilty or unloved, remember, God gave you His precious grace to cover all of that and much more.  Just ask Him to show you.  And trust me… He will show up and love on you!