Grace was Given
Grace was Given. What an interesting phrase is tucked into Ephesians 4, here in verse 7! According to the Apostle Paul, we have been given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. There are two things we should think about in this verse. First, each of us, as believers, has been given grace. Second, this grace is according to the measure of Christ's gift.
7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Ephesians 4:7, NKJV
Grace was Given
What does it mean to be given grace? What is grace? Webster's dictionary defines grace as unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification. In other words, sanctification before God is not something we can do. As sinners, we will always fall short of the glory of God. (For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:32) Due to the grace, or unmerited favor, of God, He has provided complete exoneration from sin for His people through the death of Christ upon the cross. What we are not able to do, Christ, the perfect man, and perfect God, did for us.
Regeneration (or new birth), then, is given to us by the free grace of Christ. Why would we not want such a gift. Yet, so many turn away from God's free gift and spend their lives (and then eternity) never having received the gift of life from God.
As believers, how much grace have we received? The grace we have received was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
From our early years, we learn the importance of noting the giver of gifts. If Mom and Dad do not have a lot of money, we may find that the most exciting gift we receive on our birthday is from our Grandparents (whom we view as being incredibly rich). Also, from early on, we note that some of our friends receive a seemingly unending amount of gifts on their birthdays compared to the amount of gifts we receive. So, the gifts we receive are related to the wealth or lack of wealth of the giver.
How rich is Christ? How much grace does Christ have to give? The grace of Christ is truly unending to the children of God. As paupers before a holy and righteous God, we lean on Christ, whose righteousness and holiness are never-ending.
How wonderful that our salvation does not rest upon ourselves, for no matter how good we may try to be, our sin nature keeps cropping up and working to dominate us. In many ways, one of the greatest griefs we face in this life is the battle within. How we long for the day when we enter heaven's gates and will never again be tempted by sin.
Grace was given to us, a wholly undeserving people! So, let us go this day with joy in our hearts and a song on our lips. Christ's gift to us has been an unending abundance of grace.
What an amazing God we serve!
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