INTRODUCTION

1. Christians have been blessed to move from a state of alienation and animosity with God to a state of peace and fellowship through Christ Jesus.

   1. Paul described the estranged conditions of Gentiles in Ephesians 2:12, saying that "you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world."

   2. The new state of Gentile believers is stated in Ephesians 2:13 and 19, which say,

      ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ...¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household...

   3. This new condition is described by Paul as standing in grace in Romans 5:1-2:

      ¹Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

2. Presently, let us carefully consider "this grace in which we stand."  What is this grace, and what does our standing in grace mean for us?

    

WHAT IS THIS GRACE IN WHICH WE STAND?

1. The concept of grace is very broad and encompasses many ideas.

   1. Translated from the Greek word charis (χάρις), grace has several meanings in different contexts.

   2. One meaning of grace is that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, or loveliness.

      1. This aspect of grace is found in the greetings of Paul's and Peter's epistles, where they wish "grace and peace" upon their readers.

      2. Another example of this meaning is found in Ephesians 4:29, where we are told speak so that "it will give grace to those who hear."

   3. Another meaning of grace is good will, loving-kindness, and favor.

      1. This meaning is probably our first thought when we consider the concept of grace.  It is the idea of unmerited favor, which means that grace is good will that is received but is unearned and undeserved.

      2. This aspect of grace characterizes all of God's good will and favor toward us, for none of it is deserved.  For example, Ephesians 2:8 says, "-- For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."

   4. A third meaning of grace is that which is due to God's grace.

      1. The spiritual standing of those who are governed by grace is itself called grace.  This is the meaning of grace in Romans 5:2 ("this grace in which we stand") and in Galatians 5:4 ("you have fallen from grace").

      2. The gifts that are due to grace are also described as grace, such as in Ephesians 4:7, which says, "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift."

   5. The word charis is also translated as "thanks" in passages like Romans 6:17 and 1Corinthians 15:57.  It is from this meaning that we refer to "saying grace" before a meal.

2. "This grace in which we stand" includes all that is indicated by the concept of grace.

   1. As we stand in God's grace, we are filled with joy and delight because of our good standing.

   2. Standing in God's grace means that we are in a position to continually receive God's good will, loving-kindness, and favor.  Although we are undeserving, He continues to favor us by His grace.

   3. In this standing, we can say like Paul, "But by the grace of God I am what I am..." (1Cor. 15:10).  Each blessing we receive is a measure of God's grace toward us.

   4. Standing in God's grace produces an unceasing flow of gratitude from our hearts by which we thank (say grace to) God every day for His favor.

       

OUR STANDING IN GRACE

1. We stand in grace because of our faith in Christ.

   1. The Old Testament speaks of God's grace (see Gen. 6:8 concerning Noah, for example), but the full measure of God's grace was not revealed until Christ came in New Testament times.

      1. Consider John 1:14-17:

         ¹⁴And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.  ¹⁵John testified about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" ¹⁶For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.  ¹⁷For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

      2. This does not mean that Moses did not teach grace and truth, but rather it is that grace and truth were "realized" in Christ.  This word "realized" (ginomai, γίνομαι) means to become or to come into existence. Christ was the fulfillment of Moses' words concerning grace and truth (Matt. 5:17; John 5:45-47).

   2. God's grace and our faith have an unbreakable connection.

      1. As we saw in Romans 5:2, "we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand." We enter into this good standing of grace through faith in Christ.

      2. We also noticed in Ephesians 2:8 that "by grace you have been saved through faith."

      3. By these and other verses of Scripture, we see that in terms of salvation and spiritual blessings we have access to God's grace only through faith in Christ.

      4. Indeed, it is by our faith in Jesus as our High Priest that we have this access to "the throne of grace" as Hebrews 4:16 states,

         Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

2. Our standing in grace is marked by the abundant blessings that we possess because of God's grace.

   1. Let us consider a sampling of the blessings that are attributed to grace in the New Testament.

      1. We are "saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 15:11; Eph. 2:8).

      2. We believe in Jesus through grace (Acts 18:27).

      3. We are built up and given an inheritance by "the word of His grace" (Acts 20:32).

      4. We are "justified as a gift by His grace" (Rom. 3:24; Tit. 3:7).

      5. We have "gifts that differ according to the grace given to us" (Rom. 12:6).

      6. We conduct ourselves "in holiness and godly sincerity" by the grace of God (2Cor. 1:12).

      7. We are given "an abundance for every good deed" by God's grace (2Cor. 9:8).

      8. We are called by the grace of Christ (Gal. 1:6).

      9. We have redemption and forgiveness "according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7).

      10. We are instructed by the grace of God (Tit. 2:11).

      11. We are spared from death because Christ died for us through grace (Heb. 2:9).

      12. We are "strengthened by grace" (Heb. 13:9).

   2. In truth, every blessing that exists can be rightly attributed to God's grace because "every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (Jas. 1:17).  None of these have been earned, but every pleasant thing has been bestowed by the underserved favor of God.

       

CONCLUSION

1. The grace of God is too vast to describe in one lesson such as this and too broad to grasp in such a short time.  Indeed, there are not enough words nor hours to do it justice.

2. Even so, we know that "we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand."  Indeed, the word of God exhorts and testifies "that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!" (1Pet. 5:12).