Unmerited favor is receiving something good that you didn’t earn or deserve. It’s like getting a gift for no reason.
In the Bible, “grace” is the term used to describe God’s unmerited favor toward humanity. It is a gift from God that He has given us freely, regardless of our sinful nature. We see the story played out over and over again throughout men and women in the Bible.
For example, not only do we see David the conqueror and the man after God’s heart, but we can also accept David the adulterous and murderer.
The grace of God was given to Abraham, as “friend of God” but also given to Abraham the liar.
Not only was Paul endorsed with God’s grace as the writer of the majority of the New Testament, but also when he (Saul) was killing Christians and holding their cloaks.
Grace was extended to Rahab as the helper of God’s people, but also as Rahab the prostitute.
Peter was a coward and denied Jesus three times, and yet, God called Peter a rock whom His church would be built upon. God did not see Peter through his weakness but through his potential.
Gideon was full of fear and hiding in the threshing floor, but God’s grace covered him. God saw him as a mighty man of valor and not the scared unconfident man.
We cannot only accept Moses as the deliverer of God’s people, but also as the murderer of the Egyptian.
The common thread throughout the life of these heroes of the Bible is the grace that covered each of them. This same grace is still available to us today. None of them were able to earn it – God gave it freely. It is His undeserved love, favor, and kindness that God has freely given to all of us but only experienced by those that have accepted it. (Ephesians 2:8-9) (1John 1:14).
God has extended His love to us through grace, not because we are “lovely” but because God is love.
Grace has nothing to do with us and everything to do with God.
Do not allow satan victory by believing his lie that we will never be any better that our last sin. Instead, choose to believe what Jesus said and did and walk in the grace He extends.
God wants to meet you exactly where you are. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. (Romans 5:8). He is not waiting for us to “get it all together” before He extends the beautiful gift of grace. He reconciled the human race to himself on the cross because of His great love for us, despite our messy life. It is always about Him! Let your life tell the story of His grace.
Rhonda L. Smart, rhondalsmart@gmail.com
