By Shirley Rosemarie Evans
Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness
Exodus 34 5,6 NIV
In modern language, we say things like “she was a gracious host,” meaning that she did her best to make her guests feel welcome and catered well to their needs. Or we might say, “The judge was gracious in commuting the sentence.” But how does this stack up with God’s definition of “grace?”
We often describe the word grace as “unmerited favour,” often limiting grace to salvation alone. However, the truth is that the doctrine of grace is at the core of the Bible. It is the theme that connects every book and the thread that weaves through every story. Often the contrast is of man’s rebellion versus God’s unending grace. The Old Testament Hebrew word for grace is khen and the adjective gracious is khanun. Khen is often used to refer to a gift given with delight and favour.’ In the story of Ruth, we see her being singled out for favour as she picks up leftover grain in Boaz’s field. Boaz was Khanun, he told her to stay in his field working behind the young women, he told the harvesters to purposefully drop grain for her to pick up and warned them not to treat her harshly.
God in describing His character says that He is “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34 5,6 NIV). Throughout the Bible, we see countless examples of God being gracious to man. God’s khanun often stands in contrast to man’s rebellion – has anyone read the story of the Israelite’s journey through the wilderness? Yes, our God is always gracious, and He is relentless in His pursuit of His creation. It is the expression of His character and not because of any action on our part. He is determined in and of Himself to love, and delight in us.
There is no limit to God’s grace it abounds. God is not waiting to give us His grace; He’s already done that. He is just waiting for us to receive it! God’s grace is always an action – He is the host of the universe that has provided all good things for us to enjoy. He is the gracious judge who went beyond commuting our sentence, rather He took it on himself and instead of death, He offers eternal life. Grace is not a weak, passive word. No, it is rich, it is extensive and robust with power!
Grace is God on display:
It is His grace that created & sustains the universe.
It was His grace that offered His Son as an atonement for the sins of the whole world.
It was His grace that rescued us from ourselves and the path we forged for ourselves that would destroy us.
It is His grace that delivers us from every scheme of the wicked one.
It is His grace that transforms and continues to transform our lives.
It is His grace that provides forgiveness when we fall short.
It is His grace that has prepared for us an eternal home in paradise.
Simply put - Grace is God offering to us all that He is. It is His best, including Himself.
This is Grace.
Ask: How does grace, as used in everyday language, compare to God’s grace?
Seek: How is God’s grace having an impact on your life daily?
Knock: God. Thank you for your grace. We acknowledge that without your grace, mankind would not exist. Thank you, that you are forever longsuffering and patient with us. Help us not to take your grace for granted but rather to live acknowledging you as a loving God who is forever merciful and who empowers us to live the best life following your plan. May your will be done in me and may my life always display your glory.
(Upper Photo by Timo Volz on Unsplash )
(Inner Photo by Davies Designs Studio on Unsplash)
