The Dimensions Of God's Love: Grace
For the Love of God...
I asked you last week, “What comes to your mind when you think of God”? Many possibly responded silently; Fear or shame, or even possibly thinking of about a system of rules or demands they would never measure up to. May I once more recommend a different view to consider when thinking of God. That being God is love.
That’s it… God is love.
"We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:16-19)
God's love is His eternal giving and sharing of himself.
We are looking at the basic dimensions of God's love being; Benevolence, Grace, Mercy, Persistence. Last week we looked at benevolence, This week, grace.
Grace is another attribute of God's love. Through grace, God deals with us not on the basis of our merit or worthiness (which is what we deserve) but simply according to our need; in other words, God deals with us on the basis of His goodness and generosity. Grace means that God supplies us with undeserved favors or merit.
Although God's graciousness is prominent in the New Testament, some have suggested that the Old Testament picture of God is quite different, going so far as to contend that we are dealing with two different Gods in the two Testaments: The Old Testament God of creation and strict justice, and the New Testament God (Christ) of love. Not so! Numerous passages in the Old Testament speak of the graciousness of God. In Exodus 34:6, for example, God says of himself:
"The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness."
Looks like an Old Testament loving God to me.
In the New Testament Paul points our salvation to the grace of God:
"In love God decided in advance for us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given to us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." (Eph. 1:5-8).
(Note the idea of abundance in both of these passages).
In addition, there are passages in the New Testament that are even more obvious in relating salvation to the overgenerous gift of God's grace. Look at what Paul says in Ephesians 2:7-9:
"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 not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
In Titus, Paul again emphasizes this gracious work of God:
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." (Titus 2:11)
Then, after describing the depths of the sinfulness of humankind (3:3), he says,
"But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit... so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." (3:4-7)
Salvation is definitely the gift of God. Sometimes the justice of God is questioned on the grounds that some receive this grace of God and others do not. Here is the real truth…That any are saved at all is an amazing thing, for if God gave to all what they deserve, none would be saved. Only because God is love is grace given. Thank goodness for the love of God!
Next week we will look at Mercy as His love for us. Have a good week and I’ll see ya Sunday. Love yall in Christ!
Pastor Mike
(602) 510-5563
