What is grace?

Ephesians 2:8-9 Romans 5:17 Romans 11:6 Titus 3:5 Romans 3:21-24 Luke 18:9-14 Romans 3:23 Romans 4:3 Hebrews 10:14 Romans 8:38-39 Hebrews 4:16 Galatians 5:4 Romans 6:14

Many of us feel like we need to earn God’s acceptance. Grace says the opposite - it’s not about what you do, but what’s already been done for you.

  • Grace is unearned favor - Getting something you don’t deserve and can’t earn
  • Grace is also God’s ability - Not just favor, but His power working in you
  • Grace rescues you from performance - You can’t earn God’s acceptance through effort
  • Grace gives righteousnessWhat is righteousness?Right standing with God or man. Being right with God is something we can't earn but receive as a gift through faith in Jesus. Read full answer → as a gift - You’re made right with God through what Jesus did
  • Understanding grace establishes your heart - Knowing you’re right with God lets you approach Him with confidence, not guilt
  • Grace is the opposite of works - If it’s by grace, it’s not by what you do

Grace is the free, unmerited favor of God toward people who don’t deserve it. The Greek word “charis” carries that meaning - not a reward for good behavior, but a gift handed to someone who hasn’t earned it.

But grace is more than just God’s favor toward you. It’s also His ability working in you. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been savedWhat is salvation?Salvation is being made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Its how we gain eternal life and get to know God. Full answer coming soon… through faithWhat is faith?Faith is trusting in Jesus Christ - not working up belief, but receiving a gift from God that grows as you hear His Word and dismiss unbelief. Read full answer →, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.” Grace is both the gift itself and the power that makes it possible.

Grace completely eliminates human performance from the equation. You can’t earn it, improve it, or lose it through your behavior. Romans 11:6 says, “And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace.” The moment you try to add your works to grace, it stops being grace.

A deeper look

Grace is unearned favor

When Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14 , He was targeting people who trusted in their own righteousness and looked down on others. The Pharisee listed all his religious accomplishments - fasting twice a week, tithing, avoiding sinWhat is sin?Sin is falling short of God's standard, and used to separate us from Him. The law revealed sin, and Jesus took the punishment for us. Read full answer →. The tax collector simply said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Jesus said the tax collector went home justified, not the Pharisee. Why? Because grace flows to those who recognize they need it - not those who think they’ve earned it.

Grace is also God’s ability

Grace doesn’t just change your standing with God - it changes your capacity. It’s His ability working in you to live the life He’s called you to.

Trying to please God through your own performance is like defying gravity. You can do it for a little while, but eventually you will fail. It’s stronger than you are. But grace is God’s strength enabling you to do what you could never do on your own.

When your heart is established in grace, you stop trying to earn God’s acceptance. That means you can focus on the abundant lifeWhat is abundant life?Abundant life is knowing God intimately, walking in His grace, and experiencing His peace, purpose, and provision today. Full answer coming soon… He has for you instead of trying to win Him over.

Grace rescues you from performance

The LawWhat is the difference between law and grace?Law reveals our inability to avoid sin. Grace is God's unearned favor despite our flaws - Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness as a gift. Read full answer → is like a huge debt you cannot pay. Every payment you make barely touches the interest. You know you can’t keep up, and one day it’s going to crush you. Then you get a letter: “Paid in full.” Not reduced. Not forgivenWhat is forgiveness?Choosing to release someone from their debt to you because God forgave you first-it's a command, not just a suggestion. Full answer coming soon… . Paid. And not only that - there’s now an infinite bank account waiting for you as you need it. That’s grace.

Relying on our performance is like trying to take on that debt again by ourselves. Jesus came to rescue us from the burden of trying to do the impossible through our own effort. Romans 3:23 says “all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” You could never measure up. But Jesus took the punishment for the Law you could not keep, so you could go free.

Grace gives righteousness as a gift

Romans 3:21-22 says, “But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed… the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe.”

God offers His own righteousness as a free gift. The kind of righteousness you need to be acceptable before God - a righteousness that equals His - comes through faith in Jesus Christ. You don’t earn it or achieve it. You receive it.

Romans 4:3 says of Abraham, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Not Abraham’s works. Not his performance. His faith - his dependence and reliance on God - was counted as righteousness.

Understanding grace establishes your heart

Hebrews 10:14 says that through one offering, Jesus “has perfected forever those who are being sanctifiedWhat is sanctification?The process of being set apart and made holy by choosing Jesus. Its when your spirit gets made perfect. His death and resurrection made it possible. Full answer coming soon… .” Not perfected gradually through your effort. Perfected - past tense - through what Jesus did.

You are right with God. Romans 8:38-39 says nothing in all creation can separate you from His love - not death, not life, not angels, not anything. You could reject His grace if you really wanted to, but it cannot be taken from you.

That foundation changes how you live. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need.” You don’t approach God hoping He’ll accept you. You approach Him knowing He already has.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.” Guard this truth. Don’t let guilt, shame, or religious performance convince you that you need to earn what’s already yours.

Grace is the opposite of works

Galatians 5:4 talks about “falling from grace.” But you don’t fall from grace by sinning too much or not being holy enough. You fall from grace by putting your faith in your works instead of having your faith firmly placed in Christ and what He did for you.

Grace and works are mutually exclusive. Titus 3:5 says God saved us “not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy.” Paul makes the same point in Romans 4:5 - it’s not the person who works that God declares righteous, but the person who believes.

If you’re trying to earn God’s favor through your behavior, you’ve missed grace entirely. Romans 6:14 says, “For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.” Living under grace means recognizing that Jesus already did everything necessary for your acceptance before God.

What grace is NOT

  • Not a license to sin - Grace doesn’t mean sin doesn’t matter; it means Jesus already dealt with it
  • Not God lowering the standard - Grace doesn’t make God’s holiness less; it makes His righteousness available to you
  • Not earned by good behavior - The moment you try to earn it, it stops being grace
  • Not something you can lose - Grace isn’t dependent on your performance; it’s dependent on Jesus’ finished work
  • Not opposed to obedience - Grace empowers you to live righteously, but from rest, not striving

Key Scriptures

  • Ephesians 2:8-9 - Saved by grace through faith, not of works
  • Romans 5:17 - Grace and righteousness received as gifts
  • Romans 3:21-24 - Righteousness of God apart from the Law
  • Romans 11:6 - Grace and works are mutually exclusive
  • Titus 3:5 - Not saved by our righteous works but by His mercy
  • Romans 4:3-5 - Faith counted as righteousness, not works
  • Hebrews 10:14 - Perfected forever through one offering
  • Romans 8:38-39 - Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love
  • Hebrews 4:16 - Draw near with boldness to the throne of grace
  • Romans 6:14 - Not under law but under grace
  • Luke 18:9-14 - Parable of the Pharisee and tax collector
  • Romans 3:23 - All have sinned and fallen short
  • Galatians 5:4 - Falling from grace by trusting in works
  • Proverbs 4:23 - Guard your heart with all diligence

INTERNAL

Similar Questions

No similar questions found with high semantic similarity. This is a foundational question that stands alone and is referenced in multiple source materials as a core concept.

Agent reasoning: “What is grace?” is fundamental to the theological framework and is distinct from questions about salvation (which applies grace), faith (which receives grace), or God’s nature (which explains why grace exists). While grace is mentioned in other questions, none directly answer “What is grace?” as their primary focus.

Resources

Research Notes

From Discipleship Evangelism

L1-02: Salvation by Grace

Grace is defined as “the free, unmerited favor of God toward people who don’t deserve it. It’s a gift that cannot be earned (Romans 5:17).” The Greek word “charis” means unmerited favor, while “charisma” means a specific manifestation of God’s grace.

The lesson emphasizes that salvation comes through humility and crying out for God’s mercy, not through self-righteous performance. The parable of the Pharisee and tax collector illustrates this - the tax collector found justification because he humbled himself, while the Pharisee trusted in his own righteousness.

Key point: “Those who humble themselves and cry for God’s mercy will find His grace and pardon, while those who exalt themselves will be humbled.”

L1-03: Righteousness by Grace

Two types of righteousness: (1) righteousness of man (our best behavior) and (2) righteousness of God (His perfect standard given as a gift).

Romans 3:21-22 reveals “the righteousness of God without the law” - a righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through keeping the Law.

The lesson emphasizes Romans 5:17 - we “receive” righteousness as a gift, not something we earn or achieve. Abraham was declared righteous not by works but by believing God’s promise (Romans 4:3).

Central message: “Righteousness comes through faith, dependence, and reliance on Jesus Christ.”

L3-09: Not Under Law, But Under Grace

Opens with a powerful dream illustration of a woman being punished for every mistake until a man comes to rescue her, saying “I took all of your punishment.” This illustrates how Jesus rescues us from the impossible burden of trying to meet God’s standard through our own effort.

Key teaching: “Grace is the unearned, undeserved favor and ability of God.” Not just favor, but God’s ability working in us.

The lesson emphasizes that trying to please God by performance is like defying gravity - “You can do it for a little while, but in the end, you will fail. It’s stronger than you are.”

Grace means: (1) Jesus took the punishment we deserved, (2) Jesus gave us the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17), (3) We have peace with God - unearned and undeserved.

Important point: “When we focus on our shortcomings, mistakes, and sins instead of Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, our hearts will be sad and powerless to receive anything from God.”

Proverbs 4:23 - “Above all else, guard your heart. For it affects everything you do.” When established in grace, we know God has given us everything we need.

From The Good News Slides

Slide 134: Saved by Grace Through Faith

Direct quote from Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Slide 11: Get to Know God

Connects grace with knowledge of God: “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2).

The slide emphasizes that getting to know God through His Word multiplies grace in our lives.

Slide 45 & 46: What is being saved?

Being saved means being made righteous - right standing with God. This right standing is a gift given through Jesus’ death.

Living Commentary note for Hebrews 10:14: “Jesus sanctified and perfected us forever through one offering. He is not reapplying His blood to us every time we sin.”

When born again, we receive new spirits created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24). The born-again spirit is as holy and pure as Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:17, 1 John 4:17).

Galatians 5:4 - falling from grace happens by putting faith in works instead of Christ.

Living Commentary for Hebrews 12:15: “We don’t fall from grace by not being holy enough to earn it. We fall from grace by putting faith in our works instead of having our faith firmly placed in Christ.”

Slide 50: Not by works

Extensive list of scriptures emphasizing grace vs. works:

  • Romans 3:20 - “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified”
  • Romans 11:6 - “if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace”
  • Galatians 2:16 - “not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ”
  • Titus 3:5 - “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us”
  • Romans 4:5 - “to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness”

Romans 6:14 - “sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace”

Slide 75: A “Word” Study

John 1:1, 14 - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us… full of grace and truth.”

Jesus is the embodiment of both grace and truth.

Slide 104: Frank’s points

Brief mention that believers are in a spiritual war but God protects those who strive to do His will. The most important part is “the condition of the heart and the love to God regardless of circumstance.”

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