Understanding Grace

Time and time again I hear people sum up grace as unmerited favour. Somehow, I prefer to refer to grace as Divine Favour. This is because though grace is perceived as being gotten irrespective of our status and acts, this is half the truth. Starting from the first mention of grace in the Holy Scriptures, we can observe that something qualifies people for this Divine Grace. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:8 The proceeding verses explain why Noah stood out of the crowd to enjoy God’s divine favour. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God Genisis 6:9 KJV. Read that again. He was a just man and He walked with God. There are certain qualities that causes us to attract God’s grace. Noah was a just man. Grace is not just flying in the air aimlessly. God’s grace is poured on all who will meet certain conditions. Time and time again the Bible enjoins us to be lowly, humble and ‘play the least’. This is because it is what engenders God’s Divine Grace in our lives. For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalms 84:11 (KJV) Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, yet He gives His undeserved favor to the low [in rank], the humble, and the afflicted. Proverbs 3:34 AMP Now in the New Testament, we see over and over again that God reserves His grace to the humble. James 4:6 Amp. But He gives us more and more grace (power of the Holy Spirit, to meet this evil tendency and all others fully). That is why He says, God sets Himself against the proud and haughty, but gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those who are humble enough to receive it). 1 Peter 5:5 (KJV) Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. As spelt out in the above verses, other attributes that qualify for Divine Favour (Grace) are humility, uprightness and integrity. Even the act of getting saved requires that we “do” somethings. Really? Yes! First, you must Believe in God, Accept your sinful state and Acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus and Rejoice in the Covenant Exchange of Jesus’ death as payment for your redemption and life. Salvation may indeed be free in Jesus but it wasn’t cheap. We must play our part in Believing and Repentance. Hebrews 12:28-29 (KJV) Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire. As we receive this grace, it is now our duty to let that grace work in us through service and worship. Shalom.