Unsplash\/ Brett Jordan<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFloyd Harris gave me the same reply every time I asked him, \u201cHow are you doing?\u201d It was his trademark saying: \u201cBetter than I deserve.\u201d The first time he answered, I was confused, so I asked him what he meant. He had a one-word answer: \u201cGrace.\u201d Floyd was my godly 80-year-old mentor who knew that the secret to life was to live by grace. I have often used this response myself, and I typically receive the same response I first gave to Floyd.<\/p>\n
Being in the Church my entire life, I have been around the word grace a lot. I memorized verses, sang hymns, heard sermons and read books about grace. I bumped into grace often but rarely took time to understand it. Yes, I know grace is God\u2019s lavish favor on undeserving sinners, but grace also redeems me, reforms me and rewards me \u2014 even though I don\u2019t deserve it. I have often heard that grace stands for \u201cGod\u2019s Riches At Christ\u2019s Expense,\u201d which is a great way to remember that God\u2019s grace came at a huge price \u2014 Jesus\u2019 life!<\/p>\n
God revealed to me that grace is not only amazing when we receive it, but it\u2019s also eye-popping when we give it.<\/p>\n
Grace can only be experienced if we receive it. Ephesians 2:8\u20139 makes it clear that it is by grace we are saved through faith: \u201cGod saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can\u2019t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
We don\u2019t deserve to be saved, but it is through God\u2019s grace upon us that we can receive salvation. As a teenager, I experienced God\u2019s grace when I surrendered my life to Him. I did absolutely nothing to deserve salvation. Zip. Zero. Nada. Our human effort can never earn God\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n
However, experiencing the fullness of grace is not a one-time experience at salvation. God\u2019s grace is available to receive every day. It\u2019s hard to swallow the fact He actually rewards us for our puny efforts to serve and please Him.<\/p>\n
Many Christians use mercy and grace interchangeably, but there is a huge difference. Mercy is not getting the bad we deserve, which I am abundantly grateful for. However, grace is getting the good we don\u2019t deserve. I think it is easier for us to embrace and understand mercy over grace, but God wants us to fully experience His grace daily because He is good, gracious, and generous.<\/p>\n
Grace is hard for us to receive because we know we don\u2019t deserve it. The sin in our lives often prevents us from completely embracing the fullness of grace.<\/p>\n
Brennan Manning nailed it when he wrote, \u201cTo live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side, I learn who I am and what God\u2019s grace means.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once we receive and experience grace, we must give it to others. This gets messy because we usually want to give grace to those who deserve it, not to those who don\u2019t. However, when I extend God\u2019s grace to others, it becomes a surprising grace. I have learned that giving God\u2019s grace transforms me in two ways:<\/p>\n
1. Grace shatters a judgmental spirit<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Lord revealed to me that I put people into two boxes. The Just-Like-Me box holds the people I like and gravitate toward. I will give them lots of grace. The Not-Like-Me box holds people whom I don\u2019t understand and thus stay away from. I don\u2019t offer them grace, which is judgmental. I\u2019m embarrassed about how I judge people. All the time, the Lord painfully teaches me to extend grace to all \u2014 in the same way that He does. No picking and choosing who gets it. No boxes. When I do that, grace becomes truly shocking.<\/p>\n
2. Grace unleashes a generous spirit<\/strong><\/p>\nIn his book titled Grace,<\/em> author Max Lucado says, \u201cLet grace unscrooge your heart. Grace walks in the front door and selfishness scampers out the back. It changes the heart.\u201d When we extend amazing grace, it unleashes amazing generosity. We get to lavish favor on the undeserving by being the hands and feet of Jesus. This is when grace gets fun.<\/p>\nDaily growing in grace is a process. In 2 Peter 3:18, we are reminded of this truth: \u201cBut grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Receiving and giving grace is supernatural. No strings attached. No motives. Not deserved. Unmerited. It would be so counterculture in a world that is consumed with performance-based rewards. Teams, schools, communities, cities, and countries would be transformed.<\/p>\n