People often speak of grace in different ways but, What is grace and how does it work? This is the question I will answer from a biblical point of view in this post.

Our Bible Quotation of Focus

Here is our Bible quotation of focus for this post which says many things, but don’t worry if you don’t understand it all at this point. I will unpack this Bible quotation by the end of this post.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his [God’s] workmanship, created in [a spiritual connection with] Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10.

Now, you may be wondering, What does “Ephesians 2:8-10” mean? It is an example of Bible notation, in that, it is a way of referencing the Bible which is a collection of books. As it is, each book in the Bible consists of one or more chapters, and each chapter has numbered sections called verses. So then, the Bible notation “Ephesians 2:8-10” refers to the book of Ephesians, the 2^nd chapter, and the 8^th through to the 10^th verse.

Who is God?

Our Bible quotation says that grace is the gift of God. So, the question arises, Who is God?

Well, on reading the Bible, you will find that “God” (Genesis 1:1) and “the Godhead” (Acts 17:29) are interchangeable names in the Bible for a divine Family made up of three Persons.

The first thing to know about God is that God describes Himself in the Bible by saying that He is “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2) and “God is love.” 1 John 4:8. In other words, each of the three members of the Godhead has a character of love that is identical to the character of the others. Also, this love in God’s heart is the only definition of true love in the universe.

And, No, there are not three Gods! Why? Because the members of the Godhead never contradict each other at any time, that is, we can say that they speak with one voice. For there has never been nor ever will be any disagreement or contention among them. Therefore, we can say, “there is one God.” Mark 12:32.

Furthermore, each Person in the Godhead, the divine Family, is “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.” Hebrews 7:3.

And the names of these three Persons in the Godhead are “the Father” (Matthew 11:27), “the Son” (Psalm 2:12) also called Christ (Matthew 1:1), and “the Holy Spirit” (Psalm 51:11).

So then, with this understanding of who God is, we can answer the question is, Who is Jesus? Well, the name Jesus was given to Christ when He was born as a baby boy on earth over 2,000 years ago.

What is Grace?

In order to understand grace and the need for it, we must go back to the beginning of the human race.

In the beginning, God created the first human pair, a man named Adam and a woman named Eve, as holy beings with a character of love just like God’s character.

It can be said of Adam and Eve that they kept God’s law of love, for “love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10.

However, both Adam and Eve fell into evil and wrongdoing, that is, they fell into sin when they yielded to the temptations to sin of an angel named “Satan.” 1 Chronicles 21:1.

Who is Satan? He is an angel whose name was originally “Lucifer” (Isaiah 14:12) and who rebelled against God in heaven. Satan sinned and caused some of the other angels to sin as well. And because Satan and his “evil angels” (Psalm 78:49) became fixed in their wicked ways, God cast them out of heaven pending God’s Judgment Day.

So, God says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth [breaks] also the law [of love]: for sin is the transgression [breaking] of the law [of love].” 1 John 3:4.

Thus, the character of both Adam and Eve was changed from a character of love to one of selfishness. Furthermore, all of Adam and Eve’s descendants, that is, every human being, has inherited Adam and Eve’s disposition to sin and so, they too are sinners.

Now, God says, “The wages of sin is [eternal] death [which is to be annihilated by God]; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

How can God give eternal life to sinners who are evil? God can righteously do so because of His grace. For grace is God’s work to bless every human being by transforming their characters from selfishness to love. In essence then, grace is God’s unmerited favour towards humanity. Thus, the person, through God’s grace, is enabled to stop sinning and, thereby, is qualified to be saved by God to eternal life.

We see then that the entire human race is in need of God’s grace if they are to escape annihilation by God because of their sins. And though we have not sought out God’s grace, God has taken the initiative to give us the gift of His grace.

Grace and Those Without a Knowledge of God

As we have seen, every human being begins life without a knowledge of God’s ways of love. For they have inherited Adam and Eve’s natural inclination to sin.

That is, humanity’s natural view of life is, “Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.” Isaiah 56:12.

Thus, every human being, by the workings of Satan and by the inward corruption of their own sinful nature, has been “spoil[ed] [seduced into sin]…through philosophy and vain deceit, after [according to] the tradition of men [of humanity], after [according to] the rudiments [principles] of the world, and not after [not according to the ways of love of] Christ.” Colossians 2:8.

But praise God that “the grace of God that bringeth salvation [the saving by God from annihilation because of our sins] hath appeared to all men [to every human being], teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world!” Titus 2:11, 12.

In other words, as a result of God’s grace, God is constantly speaking supernaturally to every person’s mind (the seat of reason), to their heart (the seat of feelings), and to their conscience, by which they are able to discern the difference between good and evil.

And so God’s grace teaches every person, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man [any person] love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh [the lust of the lower nature], and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life [the love of display, fame, praise by human beings], is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth [lives] for ever.” 1 John 2:15-17.

Further, God says, “I will pour upon…[humanity] the [Holy] spirit of grace and of supplications [of earnest prayers” (Zechariah 12:10) and “I will cause the shower [of grace] to come down…[upon them and] there shall be showers of blessing.” Ezekiel 34:26.

“For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible [an awesome God], which regardeth not persons [does not show favouritism], nor taketh reward [nor take bribes].” Deuteronomy 10:17.

“He [God] is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Luke 6:35), “for he [God] maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45.

Those Who Resist God’s Grace, But There is Still Hope

There are those people of whom God says, “If any [person] be a hearer of the word [which God constantly speaks to them], and not a doer [of God’s words], he is like unto a man beholding [seeing] his natural face in a glass [in a mirror]: For he beholdeth [sees] himself, and goeth his way, and straightway [immediately] forgetteth what manner of man he was [revealed to be by the mirror].” James 1:23, 24.

Here these are persons who understand what God is saying to their mind, heart, and conscience, but they nevertheless resist God’s grace in that they choose to continue in their sinful ways. Thus, they remain without a knowledge of God’s ways of love.

Notwithstanding this, God’s grace is not withdrawn from them, for God says of Himself, “Chasten [discipline] thy son [every human being] while there is hope [that they will turn away from their evil ways], and let not thy [God’s] soul spare for his crying.” Proverbs 19:18.

“For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.” Job 14:7.

“Though the root thereof wax [grows] old in the earth, and the stock [trunk] thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent [application] of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.” Job 14:8, 9.

So then, God holds out hope that every person who has not become permanently fixed in their sinful ways might, by God’s grace, choose the good and, hence, escape annihilation by God because of their sins.

That is, there are those persons who resist God’s grace, but for whom there is still hope that they might be saved to eternal life by God.

Those Who Resist God’s Grace Until There is No Hope

Sadly, there are those persons of whom God says, “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit, the Spirit of grace].” Acts 7:51.

Such are persons who “frustrate the grace of God” (Galatians 2:21) and, therefore, “receive…the grace of God in vain.” 2 Corinthians 6:1.

Of such persons, “thus saith the LORD [God], Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous” (Jeremiah 30:12), your “wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed.” Jeremiah 15:18. For here God likens their sin to a wound that cannot be healed, for they are beyond the power of God’s grace.

In other words, “A reproof [from God according to God’s grace] entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes [blows] into a fool.” Proverbs 17:10.

“Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle [according to God’s grace], yet will not his foolishness depart from him.” Proverbs 27:22.

“A man of great wrath [great anger just like that of Satan] shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him [by God’s grace from his sin], yet thou must do it again.” Proverbs 19:19.

“Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; which will not hearken [listen] to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.” Psalm 58:4, 5.

The bottom line being, as God says, “Let [God’s] favour be shewed [shown] to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness [in heaven] will he deal unjustly [wickedly], and will not behold [perceive] the majesty of the LORD [God’s ways of love].” Isaiah 26:10.

That is, these persons have resisted God’s grace until they become permanently fixed in the ways of evil. Hence, there is no hope for them to be saved from annihilation by God because of their sins.

Those Who Do Not Resist God’s Grace: A Spiritual Awakening

Happily, there are those people who do not resist God’s grace. Such persons have responded positively to God’s words to them when God says, “All things that are reproved are made manifest [made apparent] by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest [make apparent] is light. Wherefore [Therefore] he [God] saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” Ephesians 5:13, 14.

And it is the Holy Spirit, the heavenly Agent of Christ, who figuratively gives light, in that, the Spirit does “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” John 16:8.

Thus, by God’s grace, such persons have a spiritual awakening whereby they see themselves as sinners in God’s eyes.

God’s Grace Next Works To Persuade Persons To Turn Away from All Sin

Now God says, “By [the] long forbearing [of God’s grace] is a prince [is a person] persuaded [to turn away from all their sins], and a soft [gentle] tongue [figuratively] breaketh the bone.” Proverbs 25:15.

Such persons have responded positively, by God’s grace, to God’s words to them, which says, “I [God] call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I [God] have set before you [eternal] life and [eternal] death [which is to be annihilated by God], blessing and cursing: therefore choose [eternal] life, that…thou…may live [forever with God].” Deuteronomy 30:19.

For the willingly obedient person who “looketh into the perfect law of liberty [God’s perfect law of love], and continueth therein, he [or she] being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work [according to God’s words], this man [this person] shall be blessed in his [or her] deed [by God].” James 1:25.

The blessing from God on the willingly obedient person is that “God…[has sent] Jesus [Christ]…to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities [from his wickedness].” Acts 3:26.

That is to say, “God…[has] granted [you, by God’s grace by your yielding to the Holy Spirit, the gift of] repentance unto [which leads to eternal] life.” Acts 11:18. For repentance is deep remorse and sorrow for one’s own sins.

You should note that there are persons who have had a spiritual awakening and who, therefore, claim to have turned away from all their sins, but who in reality have never, by God’s grace, abandoned all their sins. That is, such persons have never through the grace of God received the gift of repentance from God.

So, God says to such people, “Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.” Hosea 6:4. That is, these persons either revert to being without a knowledge of God or go on to become permanently fixed in the ways of evil.

God’s Grace Next Works To Cause Persons To Believe in Christ

Now “God [by His grace] hath dealt to every man [to every person] the [full] measure of [God’s gift of] faith [in Christ].” Romans 12:3. For “this is the work of God [through His grace], that ye believe on him [Christ] whom he [God] hath sent [into the world].” John 6:29. Now everyone receives the gift of faith from God but without repentance people have a superficial faith and not saving (correct) faith that takes proper hold of God’s truth by the working of the Holy Spirit.

To every human being then “Jesus [Christ says,]…If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Mark 9:23.

In other words, God calls upon every human being to take hold of God’s grace whereby He gives us the gift of faith by living in accordance with such faith in Christ.

If you struggle to believe in Christ, cry out to God with all your heart for the help of God’s grace, saying, “Lord [God], I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Mark 9:24.

If we do these two things—yield to the Holy Spirit so that we will be led to repentance (sorrow for sin) and have faith in Christ—we will be “justified by faith.” Romans 5:1. That is to say, our past sins they “shall be forgiven” (Leviticus 4:20) by God. Also, “the love of God is shed abroad [poured] in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit] which is given unto us [by God]” (Romans 5:5) to keep us from sinning any more.

Our “justification” (Romans 4:25) then is by God’s grace, in that, we have been declared to be righteous by God and so “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1.

If you are justified, “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory…[by His grace has] give[n] unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him [God]: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his [God’s] calling, and what [are] the riches of the glory of his [Christ’s] inheritance in the saints [in the justified].” Ephesians 1:17, 18. For you, the justified, are God’s “peculiar treasure.” Exodus 19:5.

So then, “The [spiritually] hearing ear, and the [spiritually] seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.” Proverbs 20:12.

You should note that there are those persons who having repented, through resisting God’s grace, revert to being without a knowledge of God or go on to become permanently fixed in the ways of evil. For they have rejected God’s gift of faith.

Of note too are those persons who, having exercised God’s gift of faith and been justified, go on to resist God’s grace by encouraging doubts. Such persons, either revert to being without a knowledge of God or go on to become permanently fixed in the ways of evil.

God’s Grace Next Works to Cause Persons to Overcome Every Sin

If you have been justified, you should know that “the flesh [the sinful nature] lusteth [wars] against the [Holy] Spirit [of grace], and the [Holy] Spirit [of grace wars] against the flesh [the sinful nature]: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the [good] things that ye would [want to do].” Galatians 5:17.

Therefore, the language of your heart should be “Not as though I…were already perfect…but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I [by God’s grace] press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14.

How do you press forward to the prize of eternal life with God? God’s answer is, “Watch [Be on your guard against temptations to sin] and pray, that [by God’s grace] ye enter not into temptation: [for] the spirit [the mind] indeed is willing [to live according to God’s law of love], but the flesh [the soul, the whole being] is weak [in carrying out the intents of the mind].” Matthew 26:41.

And God says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after [for] righteousness: for they shall be filled [with the Holy Spirit of grace].” Matthew 5:6.

Thus, “if ye live after [according to] the flesh [according to the sinful nature], ye shall die [be annihilated by God]: but if ye through the [Holy] Spirit [of grace] do mortify [do put to death] the [sinful] deeds of the body, ye shall live [eternally with God].” Romans 8:13.

That is to say that “God hath…[given] you…salvation [God has saved you from annihilation to instead receive eternal life from God] through sanctification [through being made holy] of [by] the [Holy] Spirit [of grace] and belief of the truth [about God’s promises].” 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

Our sanctification then, that is, our being made holy, is by God’s grace whereby “the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory [to reflect God’s eternal character of love] by Christ Jesus…[does] make you perfect, stablish [establish], strengthen, settle you [in God’s ways of love].” 1 Peter 5:10.

Thus, the work of God’s grace in a person’s life is complete and finished.

Of note though, there are some people who have been justified by God, but who lose their justification. Why? The reasons are that they either (1) lose their faith in Christ and need to believe in Christ once more, or (2) have gone back to a life of sin and need to repent again, or (3) have gone back to being without a knowledge of God and need to be spiritually awakened again, or (4) have become permanently fixed in the ways of evil, for which God has no remedy because God respects their free will to choose the evil.

Glorification, the Goal of Grace

Now when Christ returns to the earth, Christ “shall change our [the sanctified’s] vile [depraved] body, that it may be fashioned like unto his [Christ’s] glorious body, according to the working whereby he [Christ] is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Philippians 3:21.

For “there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:44. In other words, “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption [a mortal body subject to decay] inherit incorruption [a spiritual body that will never decay].” 1 Corinthians 15:50.

“For this corruptible [body of those who have been sanctified (made holy) by God] must put on [the] incorruption [of a spiritual body], and this mortal [human being] must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:53.

Thus, “the last enemy [of God and humanity] that shall be destroyed [by God] is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26. Therefore, those persons who have been sanctified by God’s grace shall receive eternal life from God.

On the other hand, “if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth [after we have been sanctified, that is, made holy by God], there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins [Christ’s sacrificial death for the sins of the whole world cannot make amends for our inexcusable going back to a life of sin], but [there is] a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation [from God], which shall devour the adversaries [of God].” Hebrews 10:26, 27.

In other words, with our becoming sanctified, the work of God’s grace in our lives is finished and complete. And, so, if we sin again there is no helping grace available from God, for we have become permanently fixed in the ways of evil.

Conclusion

We have seen that grace works in stages in a person’s life. This is illustrated symbolically when God says, “For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” Mark 4:28. That is, a plant such as corn, grows and bears fruit in stages.

The result of grace then is that it works in persons’ lives, Christ says, “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me [Christ].” Acts 26:18.

Then it is that the sanctified will say in truth, “O LORD [God]…Surely our fathers [our ancestors] have inherited lies, vanity [vain things], and things wherein there is no profit” (Jeremiah 16:19), for they have inherited a sinful nature.

In other words, according to our Bible verses of focus: “For by grace are ye saved [from annihilation by God] through faith [in Christ]; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works [not by our own efforts to save ourselves from annihilation by God], lest any man should boast. For we are his [God’s] workmanship [through His grace], created in [a spiritual connection with] Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10.

Thus, God says, “For who maketh thee to differ from another [in your saving by God from annihilation]? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive [by God’s grace]? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory [boast], as if thou hadst not received it?” 1 Corinthians 4:7.

Therefore, the work of grace to save us to receive eternal life from God makes no room for human pride in our receiving the gift of eternal life from God.

My appeal to you then is that you do not frustrate the grace of God, but instead take the necessary steps so that you may receive eternal life from God to live with God forever.

The Bible Teaches Us How to Obtain Eternal Life from God

“In the beginning was the Word [Christ], and the Word [Christ] was with God, and the Word [Christ] was God.” John 1:1. “And the Word [Christ] was made flesh [was born as a baby boy named Jesus], and dwelt among us [human beings], (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father).” John 1:14. Thus, Christ, whose “name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13) is the One who gave the whole Bible to humanity, from the Bible’s beginning to its end. Further, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8), which is to say, Christ is love.

And every one of you as a human being are to “lay apart [put away] all filthiness and superfluity [abundance] of naughtiness [of wickedness], and receive with meekness the engrafted [the implanted] word [from God, which is the Bible and], which is able to save your souls [from annihilation by God as the penalty for sin].” James 1:21. For the word of God, the Bible, being implanted in us means that “the love of God is shed abroad [is poured] in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [the Holy Spirit] which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5. So then, “love is of God; and every one [every human being] that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” 1 John 4:7. This is known as “justification” (Romans 4:25) which is accomplished by our repentance, that is, our deep sorrow for our sins and the gift of faith from God, which when exercised to believe God’s promise of forgiveness of sins and cleansing from sin brings us the gift of love from God. Note that everyone receives the gift of faith from God but without repentance people have a superficial faith and not saving (correct) faith that takes proper hold of God’s truth by the working of the Holy Spirit.

Immediately upon our justification, God tests our character to see if we will successfully resist all temptation to sin. Our success depends on our exercising faith in Christ’s keeping power through the Holy Spirit and, hence, we become sanctified (made holy) and thus receive eternal life from God.

And this is life eternal [everlasting life], that they [as human beings] might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent [to the earth as a Deliverer from sin].” John 17:3. Thus, when the whole Bible makes our character a character of perfect love, it means that we know God and, hence, we will receive eternal life from God.

How This Blog Teaches Bible Study

My blog posts take one or more Bible verses and unpack what is often the hidden meaning in them, to help you to gain in your understanding of the Bible, and to receive insights into how to study it. For God says, “Study [the Bible] to shew [show] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [interpreting] the word of truth [the Bible].” 2 Timothy 2:15. There are new blog posts every two weeks on a Monday at 12:01 a.m. in timezone UTC-5 (GMT-5).

Further Reading

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