In Paul’s letter to Titus he wrote, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” The word grace is found three hundred forty one times in the English Bible (KJV): it is found one hundred sixty two times in the Old Testament and one hundred seventy nine times in the New Testament. I suppose the word is used by almost every major religious denomination in the naming of churches, etc. But what does the word mean in the context of the Bible? Let me give you four fundamental facts concerning grace. We generally define the word by saying ‘grace is God’s unmerited favor to sinners.’ The Bible’s teaching on the subject is much more expanded. First God’s grace is not withheld because of demerit; there is no moral sin so great that grace is not greater. The Bible says, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” The woman who was taken in adultery in John eight may be cast out and condemned to stoning by the religious leaders of Jerusalem, but she will have her sins forgiven. The second fact about grace is it cannot be lessened because of demerit. God cannot and does not propose to do less in grace for one who is more sinful (in practice) than He would have done had that one been less sinful. All men equally are in need of the grace of salvation. The scripture says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” One may indulge in sin and continue to do so more than another, but that doesn’t enhance or lessen the need of grace in the one over the other. The third fundamental fact is grace does not incur a debt. Salvation is the free gift of God. Again the scripture says, “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” For those who have found grace in the eyes of God it is very natural to feel indebtedness, but in the factuality of the matter God would have us ‘owe’ Him nothing. The final fact is grace is not exercised in the just payment of a debt. Now this is more than likely the issue that needs to be taken up with the masses in religion today. Many of you who read this article think that eternal life will be a payback for your religious deeds. Not so my friend, the Bible says, “To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.” Grace is no longer grace if it is complicated in the slightest degree with the payment of a debt. No my dear readers, grace is neither treating a person as he or she deserves, nor treating a person better than he deserves. It is treating the person graciously without regard to his desert or ill desert. Grace is infinite love expressing itself in infinite goodness to infinitely unworthy sinners.
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