During a British conference on comparative religions, experts gathered from around the world to discuss whether Christianity truly had a distinguishing feature that set itself apart from all other world religions. The debate went on for a while until C.S. Lewis heard the topic and said, “Oh, that’s easy. Grace.” No other world religion has a God of grace. Grace is stunning and totally unexpected from our human perspective. It is one of those truths that many of us simply deem too good to be true. But what is it and what does it accomplish? Many have put grace’s definition into an acrostic in order to memorize its meaning, “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”

My goal is to expand on this briefly in the hope that someone reading this might be encouraged to pour more of his or her life into the understanding of and pursuit of God’s grace.

What is Grace?

Grace is God’s unmerited favor towards ill-deserving sinners destined for hell.
Grace is the opposite of works.
Grace is getting what you don’t deserve and could never earn: you deserved punishment, you got forgiveness; you deserved wrath, you got love-free of charge, no strings attached, no hesitation, and no need to grovel or pay back.
Grace is not obligated but freely given on God’s part.
Grace is also what transforms us from sinners into Christlike.
Grace starts with the humble awareness that God has already forgiven a debt so enormous in your life that next to your mountain of sin, everyone else’s sin looks like a molehill.
Grace is so simple you can define it in a sentence and so profound that all of Scripture is a narrative of grace.
Grace is a theology and grace is a lifestyle.
Grace is God’s character and grace is humanity’s hope.
Grace is an invitation to relationship and a sculpting tool of change.
Grace keeps you from having to earn God’s approval and reminds you, in Christ, you already have it.
Grace shows you your wickedness and grace empowers you to live a new life.
Grace reveals your weakness and it provides new strength.
Grace lets you be honest with yourself while knowing you’re not defined by your past.
Grace enables you to take risks because you’re not afraid of failure.
Grace reminds you that God’s pleasure with you is not contingent on your performance but on Jesus’ performance.
Grace says you can’t but Christ did and by His grace you can.
Grace is extended in a common way to all mankind and grace is extended in a saving way to all who would turn from their sin and trust in Jesus.
Grace gets rid of you and leaves Jesus in you.
Grace will destroy your ways and show you God’s are better.
Grace is a gift you receive once but lasts into eternity.
And grace is so God-like that it’s contrary to every natural thought in our heads.

God’s grace truly is amazing.

– Pastor Scott