What Does Grace Mean to Us?

What Does Grace Mean to Us?

Grace means that all my sins are forgiven if I confess them. 1 John 1:9; 2:1-2. Grace also means that I can live and reign through the One, Jesus Christ. Rom. 5:17. Jesus possessed the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father—full of grace and truth. What did this mean to Him? It meant that all things were possible for Him. “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:14-17.

Since we have received of His fullness—grace for grace—that means that we have first of all received grace to have our sins forgiven, and secondly, that we have received power to obey the truth with which Jesus came. By this mercy Paul was able to exhort the Romans to do all of God’s will that was pleasing to Him. He gives these exhortations in several chapters, for example in Romans 12. In other words, there are no limits to what we can do through grace by the will of God.

Those who pervert grace take the truth away from grace. They think that obedience is something that belongs only to the law. Such people live in sin. Read the epistle of Jude. “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Rom. 6:14. That is important. When Paul writes about being called to be an apostle, he also writes: “Through whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for the glory of His name.” Rom. 1:5.

We read further in the epistle that there is no redemption without obedience. Ch. 6:17-18, 22. Paul writes that they should avoid those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which they had learned, for they do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ. “For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf . . . .” Rom. 16:17-19.

Here we can see what the church in Rome had attained to through this fullness—grace for grace. We also read, “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.” Rom. 3:27. Then we can also ask: What does grace mean to me? It means that I am without honor, irrespective of what I can do through the gospel. That is a preserving power that keeps me from the snares of the devil. 1 Tim. 3:6-7; 2 Tim. 2:26. Satan’s snare is first of all to get a person to exalt himself. Those who are zealous are always in danger of exalting themselves—especially if God blesses their work. We have to be particularly alert on this point: the more God blesses us, the more we need to humble ourselves.

We have one particular example from the life of Paul, who said, “Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” And, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.” 1 Cor. 15:10. In 2 Corinthians 12 we read that he had received a thorn in the flesh so that he would not exalt himself because of the great revelations he had received. He prayed to God three times to take it away, but God answered him: “My grace is sufficient for you.” Paul believed that he could remain humble without it, but God knew that he needed it. That is how it is when God blesses us in a special way; He also has to give us the trials and the chastisement we need so that we can be preserved in humility—not just be preserved in the humility we have, but increase in it and be saved from our human strength so that we can be even more fruitful.

You can listen to some people who are zealous for godliness, and it is good to hear them. This zeal for godliness gives much hope. Nevertheless, it is often easy to hear the “strength of man,” because what is being said does not have the anointing over it, which comes from an increase in humility. The more you increase in humility the more anointed your ministry will be. The anointing does not diminish your zeal, but your zeal becomes more godly. Then those who listen to you will gain more confidence in you, and what you say will be more effective. This is part of your growth in God. All those who are wholehearted also need time to grow in grace. Those who love grace and the truth rejoice over such brothers.

In 1 Corinthians 3:4-11 we read that the Corinthians argued about who was the greatest. By doing that they proved that they were carnal and babes in Christ. Paul writes, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

What is the effect of grace on us who work together? It keeps us from division and from falling into the snares of Satan. With the humble is wisdom. Prov. 11:2; Ps. 119:71, 75. God lets the things I sow, increase relative to my humility.