God’s grace works. It doesn’t promote laziness. Instead, it motivates us to do our best as we depend on His power.
But I understand why some people complain about grace. In their minds, it’s unfair. But before we dismiss it, let’s get a bigger picture.
Old Testament
Consider this verse:
“Your victory brings him great honor, and You have clothed him with splendor and majesty.” – Psalm 21:5 (NLT)
Penned by David, the 21st psalm celebrates the beneficence of the Lord toward the king of Israel. Now David himself is the king, so when he rejoices in the graciousness of God, he knows what he’s singing about!
Time and again, the Lord showed generosity to David by granting him victory in warfare. As a result, the people honored the king for his successful forays on the battlefield. But David knows better; any victory he won was due to the Lord’s intervention. In a sense, David got honored for something he didn’t deserve. Is that what grace means?
Yes, but that’s not the whole story.
David received victory as a gift because he fought hostile forces. Many times the king risked himself on behalf of the Lord and the nation. And God honored his efforts by enabling him to triumph over his foes.
David didn’t deserve God’s grace, but he put himself in a position to receive it and enjoy the benefits.
This is how the grace of the Lord works in the lives of His own. And we find that this principle carries over into the new covenant, too.
New Testament
Here’s how the apostle Paul describes his ministry:
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.” – 1 Corinthians 3:10
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” – 1 Corinthians 15:10
“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” – 2 Corinthians 3:5
Three times Paul told the Corinthians that his ministry depended on the grace of God. Comparing himself to a general contractor, he stressed how God’s grace informed his ability to do his job. The grace of God saved Paul, yes, but he’s not discussing his conversion. The apostle is referring to his calling to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. And that mission would require the same grace that makes up the heart of the gospel.
God’s grace worked in Paul. That’s one of the effects he referred to in the second verse. Not laziness, but labor. Grace energized, guided, and committed Paul to difficult, and sometimes dangerous, ministry.
But he took no credit for his diligence or for his results. As Paul reminded his readers in the third verse, he was good at what he did because of God’s grace.
Application
Without question, our salvation rests on the pure grace of God. The gospel could not be clearer.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–9not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
Jesus paid the price to redeem us from our sins and restore us to a full relationship with God. We can’t pay Him back; all we can do is receive it.
But what next?
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10
Good works? Is Paul contradicting himself? Not at all! The grace of God which saves us empowers us to live a Christlike life. And to serve others with a Christlike love.
When we do, God will reward us, like David, for the work He performed through us. Fair? No, but God’s grace works!
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