Grace: God's-Favor-Act-Do

I have thought of grace as a noun. But perhaps, what if, it's a verb? A sunburst of action? 

"We want you to know, brothers, about the grace [charis] of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor [grace, charis] of taking part in the relief of the saints" (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).

"...a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).

Not a literal, grammatical verb. Yet, so often I find myself reading these verses and thinking static. What does God really give that made the Macedonian churches' joy abound, made them overflow with generosity? What did God really give that was sufficient for Paul to endure and even boast in his thorn?

"You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:1).

"for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace" (Hebrews 13:9).

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you" (Romans 16:20).

What is it really that Paul hoped would strengthen Timothy? That would strengthen our hearts? What really is it that Paul wished would be with the churches in the close of nearly all (if not all) of his letters? Often, grace is just an ephemeral idea, a blessing. Or a one-time thing God gave us. A good wish. Or an attitude or disposition of God toward us. A theological term. But here in these verses there almost seems to be some physicality to it, some action, something that does. A sunburst--a light that explodes, conveys.

Grace--unmerited favor of God. But God--I AM. I WILL BE WHO YOU NEED ME TO BE. God IS. His character is action. His words create and bring light. His character breathes itself out in action. For him to hear is to answer (see the Psalms). For him to give favor is to give power, strength, what is needed in exactly that moment. Grace.

Grace--unmerited favor of God to sinners. But not a one time gift to sinners, but an ongoing gift. A pardon and then a cleansing. The grace of God that by the Holy Spirit, called the Spirit of Grace (Heb. 10:29), he continues to give unmerited gifts, unmerited sanctification, unmerited blessings, unmerited power to say no to sin, unmerited power to do the good, unmerited growth in love, unmerited leaps in faith. Grace.

Grace--unmerited favor of God to saints. Even as saints, we will never merit. Never deserve. All is grace. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound... and grace will bring us home." Grace will ensure the completion of glorification. His favor for us, toward us, does. Acts. Accomplishes. Ensures. Carries. Completes. Whatever is necessary, whatever, whether it seems too little to bother or too impossible to dare have the courage to imagine, whatever it takes to bring his children home, this is grace, his unmerited-favor-act-do towards us. His giving what we do not deserve, can never deserve, can never achieve. Joy in the midst of pain, rejoicing in other's good, praying for enemies, loving sacrificially, faith in the dark, trusting in the fog, peace in the chaos, abundant joy, gratitude and not pride in the accomplishments and sweet seasons of life, these are all supernatural things we cannot do. Things wrought by the Spirit of Grace. This is grace in us, with us. God's favor given tangible and visible form. Grace.

Grace--unmerited favor of God to struggling saints.In whatever trials, struggles, difficulties we face, God's favor and grace is with us. WITH us. Real. Action. Grace made tangible, taking whatever form we need to strengthen us, to give us generosity when miserliness calls, to give abundant joy. We don't crank it out of our own teeth grinding efforts; we don't pour it out of our nothingness; we don't conjure it up like a rabbit out of a hat. We can't. Strength, faith, joy, generosity, love, the virtues of Christian faith are all grace, tangible expressions of God's favor toward us creating in us by the Spirit.

Grace--unmerited favor of God to the suffering. The psalmist acknowledged, "for not by their own sword did they win the land... but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them" (Ps. 44:3). The light of God's face--his favor, his grace--this wrought salvation for them. Power was his grace, and grace was his power. His salvation in difficulties, his answers to our prayers, grace. In whatever we need, in various forms, God never ceases to be God, never ceases to be the God of all grace (1 Pet. 5:10). ALL grace. May you tangibly feel and see his grace with you this week, in whatever mountains impede the way, in whatever valley you walk through! May the light of his face burst into your darkness, giving light and life!

Grace--Christ. For grace is not unconditional, it does not just overlook. But Christ met the conditions, paid the conditions, the perfect God-Man. And grace is ours forever.

"And God is able to make ALL grace abound to you, so that having ALL sufficiency in ALL things at ALL times, you may abound in EVERY good work" (2 Cor. 9:8)

"the God of ALL grace" (1 Peter 5:10)