The Truth About Grace

"But where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more." (Romans 5:20)

You know, I think today we have a pretty shallow understanding of the idea of grace. Most believers in the western hemisphere of this thing we call home (98% of us in fact, according to recent surveys), would define grace as God's extended forgiveness and subsequent salvation. And... that's it. Now while that is a good start, if that is all we believe grace is... Well, no wonder the western church seems to be as powerless and lethargic as it is. So, in light of what seems to be a growing mis-belief amongst Christians today, allow me to introduce a thought that, hopefully, will challenge and encourage you.

Grace isn't just about unmerited forgiveness. That's a start, and by all means, a crucial one. But grace doesn't stop there. No, I would propose to you today that grace is a powerful, fierce, unrelenting force. It is what clothes us in robes of righteousness as sons and daughters of God - as heirs to a kingdom. Know what an heir does? He conducts himself as one in the same position of authority as the one who gave it to him. Grace doesn't just free us from the bondage of sin - it empowers us to live in relentless pursuit of our Redeemer. And the by-products of that pursuit are an ever increasing holiness, as we continually radiate and reflect the One we worship on a deeper level; and the ability to walk in the authority given to us as Christ's ambassadors to this world. When you know who you are as a child of God, you can shake nations. Grace isn't just a parachute to put on before an airplane gets hit and nosedives out of the sky so you don't become a pile of mush on the ground; it's the training and equipment to lead an army into battle and zero in on your target to reclaim your God-given land and establish His authority once again.

Let's take a closer look at the verse above. The word "abounds" shows up twice in the verse, saying essentially that where sin ran rampant, grace was bigger. But here we see yet another reason I rather despise the English language, and it's terrible habit of destroying the depth of the gospel. The first Greek word for "abounds" is the word "pleonazo," which means generally what we consider "abounds" to mean: "to exist in abundance, or to be augmented." However, the word we translate "abounds" when speaking of the measure of grace is the word "hyperperisseuo." This word comes from a number of different roots, and can be translated as "to overflow, to exist so greatly as to establish preeminence, or to pierce through entirely." Now, think about this for a moment. Where sin ran rampant, grace pierced through entirely and established preeminence. Kind of points back to the Cross, doesn't it? Not only that, grace has rendered sin powerless over us. We are no longer slaves to sin, with wicked hearts, trying to just "hang in there" til Jesus comes back; we are forgiven, set free, given a new heart, and are commanded to establish His authority in the earth.

Sidenote, did you know that the word "grace" in the Greek actually comes from a root word meaning "joy, or great rejoicing"? And Nehemiah teaches us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. God also told Paul "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Here again we see that grace essentially equates to power.

Getting the picture yet? Forgiveness and salvation are a great start to understanding grace. But if we can look beyond the shoreline to see the ocean, it can build a foundation of trust and confidence strong enough to weather any storm.