And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:6-9
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There is an important word in the Bible, so common to us, that we too often miss the full weight of its meaning:
Grace.
Grace, as we most often use the word, refers to God’s unmerited favor. And that unmerited favor is wonderfully true and life changing.
The Christian life, for any individual, is born out of both dismay and grace. Dismay that we have fallen short of God’s standard, and grace that God would choose to love us even while we were still enemies with him. And because of that grace, through faith in His Son, we can find redemption for our life and soul.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. —Ephesians 2
But the apostle’s understanding of grace does not end at forgiveness. And we would be wise to see that.
In the book of Titus, Paul continues:
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age…”
At first, he recalls our common understanding of grace: unmerited favor.
But he continues, telling us that grace doesn’t just bring about salvation, it also “instructs us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires.” That word “instructs” here also means “disciplines.”
This is a weightier understanding of the word grace than we typically use.
In other words, grace doesn’t just bring about salvation, it is also the work of God that enables us to live the Christian life! It is the power of God living within us.
And it is not without effect.
God’s grace doesn’t just save us from sin. It redeems us from every lawless deed, purifies us for His own possession, and creates an eagerness for good deeds.
Amazing grace, indeed.
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Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your grace. Help me to understand the full weight of the gift of grace that you’ve given us. May I deny ungodliness and live a life according to you, so that I can find redemption through your grace. Amen.