As earlier established, Grace can’t be bought. As reported by Onward, when Clara Barton was engaged in Red Cross work in Cuba, during the Spanish-American War, Col. Theodore Roosevelt came to her desiring to buy some delicacies for the sick and wounded men under his command but his request was refused. Roosevelt was troubled because he loved his men, and was ready to pay for the supplies out of his own pocket.
“How can I get these things?” he asked. “I must have proper food for my sick men.”
“Just ask for them, Colonel,” said the surgeon in charge of the Red Cross headquarters.
“Oh,” said the Colonel, “then I do ask for them.” And he got them at once.
But you’d notice that he got them through grace, and not through purchase.
Grace is the favour of God we have not worked for; what is not laboured for; what God decides to handover to you without sweat; something given with no string attached (Ephesians 4:7, Acts 4:33)
WHAT IS GRACE?
The acronym Grace means:
G – God’s; R – Riches; A – At; C – Christ’s; E – Expenses
This acronym means that grace brings to you everything that Christ has suffered and paid for on our behalf on the painful cross of Calvary which stem from His victory on His way to and at Golgotha (the place of the skull), which are;
- Salvation – Receiving our salvation was and is in no way worked for; it is by mercy and grace that it was received (Ephesians 2:8-9).
- Healing – He was chastised and bruised for our sake bearing in his body the marks of all our iniquities. God through His grace has made for us the provision of healing for all and sundry, not only physically and spiritually, but also emotionally, in our career and in ministry. All was fully paid for on the cross of Calvary and the only thing left for us to do is to tap into the well of his grace and draw out our healing in full (Isaiah 53:3-5).
- He made Himself poor so that we might be rich. Jesus paid the price and blessed us in return. His wish is that we prosper in all areas: health wise, financially and spiritually (3 John 1:2, Jeremiah 17:7-8).
- Success – (Genesis 26:1-14). Where others are failing, you will be granted success by God and you will succeed. Where you need to sow this season, the Lord will reveal to you. Where others failed, Isaac prospered, he went forward and became very great. The same land where others experienced famine, Isaac listened to God and sowed there and his reward was incalculable (Genesis 26:12-13).
DIMENSIONS OF GRACE
Grace has levels and dimensions to it and that is why some people will enjoy grace of repentance while in other spheres some others will not. Below are the highlights of the three dimensions of grace:
- Common Grace – this is the kind of grace that everyone enjoys. It is called the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; the grace that makes rain fall and sun shine on both the good and bad people, the kind of grace that makes one sleep and wake up irrespective of who you are – believer or unbeliever. John 1:14, also Romans 5:8 attests to the fact that we all enjoy a common grace.
- Great Grace – this kind of grace is a more advanced kind of grace; it is the type of grace experienced by the Apostles in Acts 4:33. Great Grace is grace that makes people to succeed where others are failing (Romans 9:11-13).
- Greater Grace – this is an uncommon grace, unusual grace and unusual show of favour on an individual. It is the type of grace that is not common in a generation, the type that is not usually repeated. This is the kind of uncommon grace that God gave to Solomon; he did not ask for it. Solomon only asked for wisdom, but God gave him wealth, favour and honour that there will be no king before him or after him blessed like him (2 Chronicles 1:11-12). That is uncommon grace – Greater Grace! People that enjoyed this kind of uncommon grace (Greater Grace) are very few in the Bible.
What distinguished Jacob was just grace; he had done nothing prior to being chosen in the womb to bear the blessing of his father. This is similar to what Christ did for us when He saved us. He showed us grace and died for our sins even when we were still sinners. This is what is called greater grace.
GRACE EMPOWERS YOU FOR EXTRAORDINARY THINGS
Grace and great grace are for exploits. As a living proof, the apostles did a lot of miracles, signs and wonders as a result of the grace upon their lives as contained in Acts 4:33, 3:1-10, 9:36-41; 5:12-15. Likewise, by grace we obtain mercy that we do not deserve (Luke 22:31-32).
Grace writes off any kind of error such that instead of paying the penalty, grace covers it. Jesus prayed for Peter not to fall and because of this prayer, he was saved from perdition; grace spoke on his behalf even after he denied Jesus three times as prophesised by Jesus Himself. This was not so in the case of Judas; Jesus didn’t pray for Judas, rather he allowed the fulfilment of the prophecy that one among the disciple will betray Him for thirty shekels of silver to come to pass.
This is the description of grace and it is unmerited. This is why in everything we do, we must ask for God’s grace. By grace we are saved and by grace we are sustained.
Philippians 2:12 says: “for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”. Grace keeps us in faith and makes us to withstand the devices of the enemies. Aside this, grace enables and empowers.
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