What does grace look like? How does the world define it? We may say grace before a meal. We may say that friends are gracious when they host a dinner party. We may leave a generous gratuity for our favorite server at a restaurant; but, what is the deeper, core definition of “grace”?
As with words like love, mercy, hope, etc. the core definition lies with the One who created it in the first place. If the Lord God is the source of grace, then the Lord God is the One who ultimately defines it. So, what does God say about it? Here are…
Three Biblical Examples of Grace:
1. The Covenant of Grace
In the very beginning – Genesis 1 & 2 – we see the Lord God create the first man and woman and make them a contract of sorts.
On God’s end, God would give lavishly. God “breathed into [man’s] nostrils the breath of life…” (Genesis 2:7). God “blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number…” (Genesis 1:28). God gave them “every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it” (Genesis 1:29). God “planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put [them]” (Genesis 2:8). God gave life. God gave relationships. God gave food. God gave shelter. God gave beauty. God gave.
On humanity’s end, God simply said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:16-17).
Sounds simple enough. God would give humanity life, breath, relationships, food, water, shelter, a purpose (Genesis 2:15), and even treasures to be found (Genesis 2:11-12). And, humanity just needed to steer clear of one particular tree. According to scripture, there were plenty of trees – of all kinds. No need to bother with that one, right?! Simple; and yet…
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ~ Genesis 3:6
Whoops.
Well, that’s it, folks. Humanity failed. The one thing they were supposed to do… er, not do… The one rule they had… The one part of the contract that they were supposed to uphold… broken.
God had every right to be done with them… to smite them… to squash them… to start over. He’s God. Besides, truly, He was the one doing everything anyway. All they had to do was steer clear of one tree.
He, being God, would have been perfectly justified to quit with them, right then and there…
… but, He didn’t. Instead, God keeps them breathing… God keeps giving them life… God keeps providing their food, their water… God keeps giving them purpose… and, because God doesn’t want them to feel ashamed or embarrassed by their sin, God clothes them.
Do they have consequences for their sin? Yes. But, does God turn His back on them? No. (Never.)
This is the Covenant of Grace. It is the covenant of undeserved favor.
Indeed, all other promises of God, all other covenants He makes with humanity after Genesis 3, stem from this one. The Covenant of Grace is about God creating… sustaining… helping… providing… giving generously… to the humans He created, even though they have done nothing to deserve it.
(In fact, ironically, scripture prophesied that humans will be so well-taken-care-of by God that many of them will think they themselves are doing the work. We will actually fool ourselves into thinking that we are sustaining our lives… providing for our lives… earning our lives… but, alas, it has always been, and will always be, God doing the work.)
This is how the story of God with us began…
Every part of the plan began with grace. Undeserved favor. Blessings. Life given to us… Simply because He is the Giver of life.
What do you think of this grace? In a world that often withholds good from those it deems undeserving, or those who have “done us wrong”, how does God’s definition of grace encourage us to live?
2. The Marriage of Hosea and Gomer
They lived around the 8th century BCE. Surely, when they got married, most (if not all) of the wedding guests gave it “two months tops”. This woman was known for having “wandering eyes”, to say the least. She had a rough past, many sexual partners, and made money in varied and disrespectable ways. Was she really ready to leave that life behind?
Throughout their first few years of marriage, this man and woman had three children; however, as the children grew, the husband became suspicious. After a while, his suspicion turned to anger. He said to his wife, “These children look nothing like me. Why might that be?”…
…because they are the children of adultery. ~ Hosea 2:4
He confronted his wife, and huge fights ensued in that house – resentment, bitterness, and rage.
After a month or two, the woman left. She abandoned her kids, her husband, her life… and she returned to life on the street, making money any way she could. Sex… drugs… wherever she could get a quick fix.
As time passed, however, she missed the safety of her home, the stability of her husband, the faces of her children; so, she packed up the little she had, hitchhiked back to the house she had deserted, and, when she arrived…
Her husband embraced her. He spoke tenderly to her. He recommitted his life to her. He pledged his faithfulness to her. (Hosea 2:14-23) After that, it was as if the man and woman were on their honeymoon all over again; until, she got restless…
Soon enough, the cycle started over. She packed a bag, left no note, and walked out the door. Life on the street – easy money, any drug she could find… but, this time, the man went after his wife. He searched for her, high and low, until he found her… in a brothel. Her boss wouldn’t let her leave. She made him too much money, so her husband made a deal with her pimp. He bought her back with everything he had, and he took her home.
What would the world say to this man?… What would be the advice most would give?… “Divorce her!” “Be done with her!” “Don’t give her another chance!” “Stay away from her!” “She deserves what she gets!”
His name was Hosea. Her name was Gomer. They were a real-life picture the Lord God gave to His people around ~755 BC, sandwiched between the biblical books of Daniel and Joel. They were an illustration of God’s faithfulness to those He created, even though we, His people, leave Him… abandon Him… stray from Him… over and over again.
Grace. Undeserved favor. Forgiveness freely given. A new day. A fresh start. Reconciled back to Him, not because of anything we’ve done – only because of who He is.
Read more about Hosea and Gomer HERE.
3. The Prodigal Child
“I wish you were dead, so that I could have my inheritance now!” the son screamed. “I hate living here! I hate all of you!”
There was unimaginable tension in the house that day. The son had run out of the house, slamming the screened door behind him. Grieved by his son’s outburst, but respecting his son’s desire to leave, the distraught father cashed in half of his land, bundled up the large lot of money, and handed it over to his wayward son. Without a nod of compassion, the son turned and walked away from his home. He was finally “free”.
Drinking. Partying. Wild living (of every kind) ensued.
But eventually… the money was gone. What was he to do? What if he returned home? What possibility could that be?…
As he walked back to his childhood home, his mind was filled with painful memories of things he had said. It had been years, with no letters… no phone calls… Would they even be there? Were they still alive? Would they recognize him? The years had definitely worn him down.
The driveway was long, and winding. Though, from that far-distance, he could still make out the rocking chair on the front porch, right where it had always been. He held it in view and quickly gasped when the screened door flew open.
It was a man, aged, with less hair than he remembered. He looked hurried… a bit frantic, honestly. “Father?” What had just happened that was so alerting to him? Almost immediately, the son realized that this elderly man was… running. As best he could. His father was running… towards him. And the father’s arms were opened. Opened wide.
It felt like years since he had been hugged. Really hugged… hugged without a reason or a motive… hugged not just by default, as a sudden support for a stumbling, drunk friend.
And, there wasn’t just a hug. There were new clothes, new possessions… There was a party.
There was acceptance. There was forgiveness. There was a new day.
What would the world say to this father?… What would be the advice most would give?… “Be careful. He just wants more money.” “You didn’t even give him time to apologize. How do you know he’s truly sorry?” “Don’t get too excited. Don’t go overboard. Wait and see how this plays out.” “I know you forgive him. He’s your son; but, don’t forget what he did…”
This son and this father were characters in a story that Jesus once told to a large crowd. The crowd was made up of tax collectors, “sinners”, as well as the most “righteous” of the day, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Jesus’ intention was to illustrate radical grace, the unconditional and undeserved favor that the father has towards his son.
That radical grace is the same grace, the same undeserved favor, that the Lord God has for each of us.
That radical grace is the same grace He has always had for us, since the beginning.
Read more about Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son HERE.
This is grace…
It is undeserved. It is forgiving. It is reconciling.
It is a new day. It is a fresh start.
It is big. It is radical. It is crazy.
It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t seem logical.
It seems naive. It seems unwise. It seems reckless. It seems to know no boundaries.
And yet…
It is who God is.
It is who God has always been.
[God] has saved us and called us… not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. ~ 2 Timothy 1:9
“… not because of anything we have done…”
“… because of His own purpose…”
“… given [to] us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time…”
What if the very definition of God’s grace is meant to feel completely backwards and insane?
It is our human nature to give grace… as long as we are convinced the person is repentant.
It is our human nature to fully accept others… when enough time has gone by to “prove” they won’t slip back into their sin.
It is our human nature to run towards wayward people… but, our arms won’t be opened wide until we’re sure they have changed.
These are our human nature… but, they aren’t God’s grace.
God’s grace is bigger… greater… wider… taller… deeper than our human nature is compelled to go.
We are called to extend grace to the Gomers… to the Prodigals… and to every other kind of person in this world. It is incredibly hard to fathom; and yet, it is true that nothing in this life is beyond God’s grace. No one is beyond God’s grace, because…
God’s grace isn’t about what we do. God’s grace is about who He is.
And we are called to worship Him… follow Him… be more like Him…
So…
To whom do you need to extend grace?…
What kinds of people… what person… have you been withholding it from?
To whom do you need to open your arms wide?
Whether it’s a co-worker… a family member… a neighbor… a long-lost friend… a waitress… a cashier at your local convenience store, this world is brimming with people who need to feel God’s “undeserved favor”, and He can show Himself through you…
… just as the Lord God showed His grace to those first humans.
… just as Hosea showed the grace of God to Gomer.
… just as that father showed the grace of God to his son.
It could be small… It might be a smile, a gesture, a phone call, a letter, an understanding ear, an embrace.
The world doesn’t need more of our grace. The world needs to understand more of His. May we help people see Him.
Written by Danielle Walker
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For more on grace, watch Living in Shame: A Devo in Genesis 3 and Psalm 31
For more on giving grace to yourself, watch Stop Condemning Yourself! He is a God of GRACE.
