The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Every believer knows (or, at least, should know) that we are saved by grace, not by works (Eph 2:8-9). It is one of the real distinctives between Christianity and every other world religion. Not by works, but by grace. And we understand that "grace" has a somewhat unique definition in Christianity. It is "unmerited favor" or "getting what you don't deserve." Now, the Greek word behind that concept is not defined that way in general. It is simply "favor" and could be earned or unearned. But Paul said, "At the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace." (Rom 11:5-6) So biblical grace is defined as "not on the basis of merit" and if it is on the basis of merit it "would no longer be grace."

Great. We have that settled.

But it's strange. We often seem to think of grace as an end. "Good," we tend to think, "I'm 'saved by grace' -- end of story." It's not. In fact, that doesn't even make sense. God doesn't extend grace for grace's sake. He extends unmerited favor for a purpose.

The most obvious purpose, of course, is our salvation. Salvation is a gift given by God by His favor given to us without our having earned it. (So ... why do so many of us have trouble thinking, "God must be really disappointed with me because I'm not living up to His demands"?) Maybe that purpose is clear to most of us. The point there is salvation, not the vehicle of grace. But there is more. At the end of that wonderful "saved by grace through faith apart from works" passage, we find an outcome of grace that we don't seem to expect.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:10)

That "for" links "saved by grace" to "good works" as a primary purpose. God's grace makes us His workmanship. This is in agreement with 2 Corinthians 9:8.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Grace abounds to provide sufficiency and enable us to abound in ... good works.

There's more. Paul found that God's grace was sufficient in his weakness (2 Cor 12:9). That is, God's unmerited favor sustains us in our trials. Scripture says that it is God's unmerited favor that makes His unmerited favor not pointless (1 Cor 15:10). (Which, again, should eliminate that "God's disappointed with me" feeling.)

You can begin to see, I hope, that grace is not an end. God's grace is a gift that keeps on giving. And like gift-giving, if giving the gift was the end -- the point -- then it would be kind of anticlimactic, wouldn't it? God gives His unmerited favor with purpose, and that is to enable us to work, to obey, to have sufficiency, to grow, to follow Christ. God's grace isn't simply a character trait of God. God's grace is truly amazing, but keep looking because what He gives His grace for is equally amazing.