Categories of God's Grace

By - Pastor Daniel C. Inghram, National Capital Bible Church

Adapted from: 2 Thessalonians 3:18, Lesson 44 and Lesson 45, November 1 and 8, 2020

The last verse of 2 Thessalonians 3 refers to the, “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We must not treat lightly the word “grace,” because grace is a concept that underpins our Christian lives. God’s grace, His unmerited favor, comes to us in many ways to include: 

Common Grace (Mt 5:45; Rom 1:20). God provides life sustaining grace for the believer and unbeliever. We might think that God does not care about the unbeliever but only supplies nourishment, protection, and clothing for the believer. But that is not true; God’s love and common grace extends to all His creation. 

In Romans 1:18-20, the truth mentioned in v. 18 is the truth about God. Having departed from godliness and righteousness (v. 17), people suppress the truth about God that He is their loving Creator and deserves their worship and praise. Unbelievers can mentally perceive the revealed truth of God, but they have chosen to suppress it (this is a volitional decision of the unbeliever). They are without excuse. God’s anger, His wrath, His righteous judgment is being revealed against sin and the suppression of the truth. Not only are divine attributes clearly seen in humanity (v. 19, “is manifest/evident in them”), but they can be seen in the material universe as well (v. 20; Ps 19:1-4). Nature itself speaks eloquently of its Creator. From the intricate design of the human cell to the majesty of the mountain ranges, all of God’s works testify to His wisdom and power. In other words, His divine nature can be clearly seen by observing His awesome works in all of creation. 

Saving Grace (Eph 2:8). The believer is saved through grace. This means that the source of salvation is the grace of God. Faith is the channel, not the cause. Salvation was made possible when the righteousness of God was propitiated, satisfied with the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Salvation never originates in the efforts of mankind. We cannot do anything to earn our salvation. It is substitutionary work of Jesus Christ on the cross that makes salvation possible. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Act 16:31a).

Sustaining Grace for the believer or daily provision (2 Cor 9:8-9). The phrase “grace abound toward you” is a reference to our daily needs. Verse 8 is the principle of God’s supply to the believer. God is aware of our moment-by-moment requirements. Verse 9 is the application of the principle found in v. 8. Many people do not think that they have enough resources to give to good works. But God tells us that if we give, then God is able to give us more so that we can perform other good works. In other words, God ensures that the generous giver will not suffer want. Instead, God generously provides for those who give so that they can continue to do so. Now, God is not a genie who can be manipulated for financial gain. God knows our motivation. We must not give hoping that God will bless us with wealth. God does not work that way. We give as we determine in our hearts, souls, not in our lust for wealth.

Sanctification/Maturing Grace (Spiritual maturity) (2 Cor 9:14; Titus 2:11). Paul anticipated that God’s grace would lead the Jerusalem Christians to pray for the Corinthian believers. Paul also knew that the Jerusalem believers would long to see the Corinthian believers, who because of the grace of God in them led them to give a gracious gift to the Jerusalem believers. The Corinthian believers gave because of their spiritual maturity. Their spiritual maturity is called theologically “experiential sanctification.”

In Titus 2:11, we read that the Grace of God brings salvation. Salvation can also be translated as deliverance. The context begins in vv. 9-10, which is addressing the godly life of a servant. The context continues in v. 11. “The grace of God has appeared to all men [universal availability] that brings deliverance, teaching us … that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” This is a reference to our spiritual lives—experiential sanctification. 

Spiritual Grace in Gifts (Rom 12:3). Paul describes his spiritual gift as “the grace given to me.” Paul then teaches about the various spiritual gifts, some temporary and some permanent, that have been given to the Body of Christ, the Church assembly or family.

Enduring Grace for spiritual strength (2 Tim 2:1). Paul says, in fact using an imperative, that when we rest or rely on God’s grace that is in Christ Jesus, we are empowered, strengthened. The emphasis is on the strength of Christ, not on our own power. If we trust in ourselves, we certainly will fail in the spiritual life.  

Dying Grace (Phil 1:19-21). Paul concludes if he is to live that is Christ (meaning he can continue living for Christ), but to die is gain (being in the presence of his Savior was the best possible results). Paul was saying that remaining alive gave him the opportunity to continue serving the Lord. However, departing this life would be even better. We call it dying grace.

Conclusion: To all the difficulties and hardships that face us each day, the solution is the grace of God that flows to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Even in the midst of hardships, adversity (anxiety, pain), God’s grace flows lovingly to us. We do not live in a perfect world. We do not have perfect bodies. We do not have perfect family members, friends, neighbors, employers, employees, leaders, pastors, etc., but the peace that passes all understanding is available to us by way of God’s incomparable grace. As Paul closes 2 Thessalonians, he prays that those believers would have God’s grace. God the Holy Spirit has preserved that prayer for us. The grace of God, in all its categories, is available to us as well. We must acknowledge it and exploit it for our personal peace. That in turn, honors God.

This post was written by Pastor Daniel Inghram of National Capital Bible Church. If you have questions about this post or Christianity in general, please contact us today!