What is Grace?

In the book of Exodus, in chapter 16, it is recorded that the LORD provided the children of Israel with “bread from heaven” (v.4), and that when they saw this life sustaining substance (in v.15), “they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was.” In v. 14 and v. 31 of the same chapter, we are provided with short descriptions of this substance and even though the children of Israel did not know exactly what it was, they gave this sweet substance a name—they “called its name Manna” (v.31).

Similarly, God provides something for us that we can only do our best to describe. It too, is sweet and it also sustains us while we are on our spiritual pilgrimage through the wilderness. We have a difficult time defining exactly what it is, but it too has a name and one that is very often used—I am referring to “grace.” Grace is one of the many subjects that Christians disagree about and one which I feel is little understood by those who use the word the most. But all those who genuinely care about their own eternal destiny and spiritual growth (not to mention the deplorable state of “Christendom”) would do well to re-examine the subject instead of just throwing it into our ever-growing pile of “non-essentials.” This article is an attempt to do just that—to re-examine the topic of grace, and hopefully to assist and encourage others to do so as well. We will try to examine what grace is or is not in light of the New Testament evidence and look at some different ways in which it has been understood. Continue reading What is Grace? →