Grace is a very common theme in the Bible especially in the New Testament. As a matter of fact, Grace, together with truth is said to come through Jesus Christ (John 1:17), the Mediator of the new covenant or testament (Hebrews 9:15). There are 146 uses of grace in the New King James Version of the Bible — 125 in the New Testament, 88 of which are from the apostle Paul, which means two-thirds of all the uses of the word grace in the Bible are in one author: Paul. No wonder he’s often called “the apostle of grace.”

In the Bible, God’s grace is a term used to describe his unmerited favor and love for humanity. It is a free gift from God, given to us through Jesus Christ, that allows us to be reconciled with him and receive eternal life. God’s grace is not something that we can earn or deserve; it is something that he freely gives to us out of his love and mercy. It is a source of hope, strength, and peace for believers, and it is something that we can never fully comprehend or fully deserve.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “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.”

In addition, a closer look at God’s word shows that God’s grace is not limited to God’s unmerited favor as most people have come to believe. God’s grace is also that divine or supernatural enablement that empowers us to do or become who or what we could not be by our own efforts or abilities. As John Piper observed, God’s grace is “an influence or a force or a power or an acting of God that works in us to change our capacities for work and suffering and obedience.” In other words, grace (God’s underserve favor) overflows into powerful and practical helpfulness in our daily lives where and when we most need it.

Someone under the grace of God has a special ability to do things. For example, Paul accredited his tremendous success as apostle to the grace of God. 1 Corinthians 15:10 says,

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Also, he was able to endure the torn in flesh because of God’s grace (2 Corinthians 12:9). The apostles in the early church were able to do mighty exploits for God because “great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).

Meanwhile, Titus 2:11-12 seems to summarize what the grace of God is by highlighting the functions of grace. It says,

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.”

From these verses, we can deduce the following;

1. Grace has appeared to all humans irrespective of gender, race, color or nationality

2. Grace brings salvation

3. Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness

4. Grace empowers us to live godly lives

5. Grace is applicable even in this present age. The corruption of our generation is not an excuse to live carelessly because we have been given grace.

On a final note, it is important to iterate that though the grace of God is available to all men, not all men have appropriated the grace of God. Even though the grace of God brings salvation, not all men are saved. Yes, God’s grace can enable us to do what we are not capable of doing, yet not everyone is operating at the level of grace. In essence, we must intentionally make ourselves available for His grace. We must open our arms to receive His grace. We must come humbly but boldly to the throne as Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

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