Grace can be defined as an unmerited, unearned, undeserved action. The ultimate example of this concept is demonstrated by God's love for us. We were originally created as a reflection of God's image, that He might be glorified in a love relationship with us. However, man fell into sin when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. It was not in the act of eating, but the disobedience wrought by believing God was withholding something more satisfying then himself, that led to our fall. Because of God's infinite holiness, He could no longer look upon our tainted and distorted humanity. His justice demanded reprobation for our evil, the penalty being death. Still God's love for mankind was so intense He loved us while we were yet sinners. He sent His only Son to take our place, to be crucified on a cross. This act of sacrifice fully atoned us of our sin and bore the weight of God's just wrath.
This merciful act born out of God's loving grace has, however, been widely profaned. Many Christians fall into a trap of trying to earn God's favor by good deeds, attempting to buy God's grace. Unfortunately an imperfect being cannot earn perfect love by imperfect means. We must realize that good works don't lead to grace, but rather grace leads to good works. Nothing we do, or don't do, can add or take away from God's love for us. Because of the work of the cross, we, as believers, are now cleansed from sin and seen in the eyes of God as His righteous children.
On the opposite end of the spectrum you have a grace oriented believer who disregards personal responsibility. It is true that God has freed us from sin in our salvation. However, this freedom is not a freedom to make choices apart from godliness. Rather, it is simply a freedom to obey God. Where we were once slaves to sin, we are now called slaves to righteousness. And, we should accept this new role with great joy, when we grasp the full meaning of its identity. John Stott gives the example of a fish in a small bowl. The fish swims around his tiny entrapment and longs for more freedom. If he so happens to jump into a lake he will enlarge that freedom. However, if he jumps onto land he will suffer and die. Thus it is with Christians. In our freedom, we are created for a love relationship with God. When we jump into a greater measure of His love, we find more freedom, but if we jump deeper into sin we will suffer and die.
Grace is definitely powerful, but it does not replace our responsibility. It is the driving force that enables us to fulfill and faithfully adhere to the responsibility we now have, in living as Children of the Most High King. Our obedience should rise naturally out of a love for our Father, because He has first loved us. As we learn such obedience, it will take us deeper into the heart of God and we will learn more of Him. We will begin to grasp as the Apostle Paul and so many other faithful saints have that God is sufficient in all things.
We often live disillusioned Christian lives because we think that following God faithfully will make life easier. We fail to see that following Christ and walking in His steps is also a call to suffer. God's love for us does not keep us from harm, peril, trial, and tribulation. It does however allow us to be content in every circumstance. Not because we are strong, but because He who gives us strength has placed all things under His feet. His love allows us to endure difficulty, yet find joy. As we take upon the yoke of running the race and serving the Body of Christ, it takes us through many ups and downs, but God constantly provides rest. A rest found by acknowledging who He is, in trusting Him with all our heart, in leaning on His strength.
As Christians we must come to believe that all circumstances come to us, not by chance, but through the will of an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, all-loving Father. Because of this we refer to our circumstance as being under the providence of God. This will help us fully be content in an authentic witness of our faith, in His grace, in the face of trying circumstances.
To further expand on grace, we can dissect it into three divisions (past, present, and future). This division however is dependent on one another in the whole of it's working and unity. Christ's death and resurrection was an act of past grace. It was an act that was done once and fully completed. However, that past work of grace does not end there. It continues to present grace and allows us to experience God's love fully today. That one time act of love has given us access to an unlimited source of power to be victorious with each day's trails and tribulations. It has allowed the Holy Spirit to be unleashed in our lives, changing us and guiding us in our sanctification. This past and present grace then becomes future grace. This on going work of sanctification comes to a culmination when we finally and perfectly reflect, once again, the image of God, being like Him in every aspect. Grace is an ongoing work that we must cultivate, not to disqualify ourselves, as Apostle Paul once wrote, but to win the prize which has been secured for us by the grace of the cross, carries us in the grace of sanctification, and takes us to glory in the completion of the Kingdom of God.
-Hyun Suck Kim