A Deeper Look at How Grace Is Applied and Made Tangible in Daily Living

Hello all!

In order to be more deeply rooted in God’s word, I’ve started doing daily readings of Selwyn Hughes ‘Everyday Light Daily Devotional’ and making an intentional effort to reflect on the questions posed at the end of the Bible reading passage.

Sharing the word here and insights gleaned in case you were curious!

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Read the devotional here

Readings referenced: Romans 5; 2 Timothy 2:1; Titus 3:7

1. What are the characteristics of grace?

2. What is the result of being justified through grace?

Today I’d like to examine Romans 5 and take a closer look at what Grace is.

Bible Reading (ROMANS 5)

PEACE & HOPE

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.

14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!

16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.

17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.

19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Based on this passage, what can we discern about the nature of Grace?

There are several key characteristics about Grace:

Based on this passage from Romans 5, we can identify several key characteristics of grace:

1. Accessible through faith (verse 2): Grace is something we gain access to through faith in Jesus Christ.
2. Undeserved (verses 6-8): Grace is given even when we are “ungodly,” “powerless,” and “sinners,” emphasizing its unmerited nature.
3. Demonstrates God’s love (verse 8): Grace is an expression of God’s love for humanity.
4. Justifying (verses 1, 9): Grace justifies believers, making them righteous in God’s sight.
5. Reconciling (verses 10-11): Grace reconciles people to God, repairing the broken relationship caused by sin.
6. Abundant and overflowing (verse 15): God’s grace is described as overflowing, suggesting its abundance.
7. Superior to sin (verses 15-17): Grace is portrayed as more powerful than sin, able to overcome its effects.
8. Life-giving (verses 17-18, 21): Grace brings life, contrasting with the death brought by sin.
9. Freely given gift (verses 15-17): Grace is repeatedly referred to as a gift, emphasising its freely given nature.
10. Brings righteousness (verse 19): Through grace, many are made righteous.
11. Increases in response to sin (verse 20): Where sin increases, grace increases even more, showing its responsive and overcoming nature.
12. Reigns through righteousness (verse 21): Grace reigns, leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ.
13. Peace-bringing (verse 1): Grace brings peace with God.
14. Hope-instilling (verses 2-5): Grace is associated with hope in God’s glory and future salvation.

These characteristics paint a picture of grace as a powerful, unearned gift from God that overcomes sin, reconciles humanity to God, and brings life, peace, and hope.

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Yet, this is still all very conceptual. How can we see this played out in daily life, within relationship?

While divine grace as described in the Biblical passage might feel beyond us, we can draw parallels to familiar relational contexts to illustrate these concepts.

Unmerited:

• A friend forgives you for a significant betrayal without you having to earn their forgiveness.
• A parent continues to support and love their child despite repeated disappointments or failures.

Justifying:

• A teacher gives a struggling student extra help and opportunities to improve their grade.
• A boss overlooks a major mistake and instead focuses on your overall good performance.

Reconciling:

• Estranged family members reuniting and rebuilding their relationship after years of conflict.
• Two friends making amends after a heated argument, choosing to preserve their friendship.

Abundant:

• A mentor who goes above and beyond in supporting your career, offering more help than you could have expected.
• A community rallying around a family in need, providing more assistance than the family asked for.

Life-giving:

• A friend’s encouragement giving you the confidence to pursue a dream you had given up on.
• An act of kindness from a stranger brightening your day and changing your outlook on life.

Accessed through trust:

• Opening up to a therapist, counsellor or coach, allowing their guidance to help you grow.
• Letting a friend help you through a difficult time, even when it’s hard to be vulnerable.

Demonstrates love:

• A partner making sacrifices for your happiness or well-being without expecting anything in return.
• Parents working multiple jobs to provide opportunities for their children.

In human relationships, these grace-like actions can transform dynamics, heal wounds, and foster deeper connections. They often require one person to take the initiative in showing unearned kindness or forgiveness, which can then inspire reciprocal actions and create a cycle of mutual understanding and compassion.

It’s worth noting that human grace is imperfect and limited compared to the divine grace described in the passage, but these examples can help us understand the concept in more relatable terms.

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Grace sounds a lot like sacrificial love in practical terms- giving without expecting anything in return. However, as I survey the above examples, which I often see played out in the lives of friends and connections who have shared their stories with me, this begs the question: where do you draw the line between grace and enablement?

Yet, how do we know that when we show grace and love, we are not encouraging others to be without a moral compass or a strong backbone or have zero accountability?

Here’s are 8 ways that we can distinguish between showing grace and enabling:

1. Outcome and growth:

• Grace: Encourages positive change and personal growth.
• Enabling: Perpetuates negative behaviors or stagnation.

2. Accountability:

• Grace: Maintains healthy boundaries and expectations for responsibility.
• Enabling: Shields the person from the consequences of their actions.

3. Motivation:

• Grace: Stems from genuine love and desire for the other’s well-being.
• Enabling: Often motivated by fear, guilt, or a need to control.

5. Long-term effects:

• Grace: Leads to healing, maturity, and improved relationships.
• Enabling: Often results in dependency, resentment, and deteriorating relationships.

6. Empowerment:

• Grace: Empowers the individual to make better choices.
• Enabling: Keeps the individual in a state of helplessness or irresponsibility.

7. Forgiveness vs. excuses:

• Grace: Offers forgiveness but doesn’t excuse harmful behaviour.
• Enabling: Makes excuses for negative behaviour and avoids addressing issues.

8. Support structure:

• Grace: Provides support while encouraging independence.
• Enabling: Creates a cycle of dependence and often co-dependency.

Here are some examples to flesh out the above differences

When a loved one is substance addicted:

• Grace: Supporting a loved one’s recovery efforts while maintaining firm boundaries about not allowing substance use in your home.
• Enabling: Repeatedly bailing someone out of financial troubles caused by their addiction without addressing the underlying issue.

Dealing with Poor Work Ethic as opposed to Poor Work Performance:

• Grace: Giving an employee who made a mistake an opportunity to learn and improve, with clear expectations for future performance.
• Enabling: Constantly covering for an underperforming colleague, shielding them from the consequences of their poor work ethic.

Dealing with hurtful and disrespectful behaviour within relationship:

• Grace: Forgiving a partner for a hurtful action, but also having an honest conversation about how to prevent it in the future.
• Enabling: Repeatedly accepting a partner’s disrespectful behaviour without addressing it, for fear of conflict.

In essence, grace seeks to uplift and transform, while enabling, despite often coming from a place of care, ultimately hinders growth and perpetuates problems.

Grace requires wisdom to apply appropriately, ensuring that it doesn’t inadvertently slip into enabling behaviour.

So, to answer the final question that Selwyn Hughes has posed for further consideration, “What is the result of being justified by grace?”

1. Peace with God: Like finally reconciling with a parent after years of conflict, feeling that weight lift off your shoulders.
2. Access to God’s grace: Having a permanent VIP pass to approach a powerful, loving mentor anytime you need guidance or support.
3. Hope in God’s glory: The excitement and anticipation of knowing you’re part of something greater, like being on a winning team headed for the championships.
4. Perseverance and character development: Viewing life’s challenges as a rigorous training program that’s tough but ultimately making you stronger and more resilient.
5. Assurance of God’s love: The deep security of knowing you’re unconditionally loved, like a child who never doubts their parent’s affection.
6. Salvation from God’s wrath: The relief of having a huge debt forgiven that you could never repay on your own.
7. Reconciliation with God: Restoring a broken relationship with your best friend and finding it’s even stronger than before.
8. Life through Christ: Like receiving a life-saving organ transplant, giving you a fresh start and a new lease on life.
9. Righteousness: Being given a clean slate and a fresh reputation, as if all your past mistakes were erased from everyone’s memory.
10. Eternal life: The assurance of a limitless future, like having an infinite source of renewable energy.
11. Freedom from condemnation: Living without the constant fear of judgment, like performing without the anxiety of harsh critics.

In practical terms, these results might manifest as:

• A sense of inner peace and purpose, even in difficult circumstances
• Confidence in approaching life’s challenges, knowing you have divine support
• Freedom from guilt and shame over past actions
• A more positive, hopeful outlook on life and the future
• Improved relationships, as you extend to others the grace you’ve received
• Resilience in facing hardships, seeing them as opportunities for growth
• A sense of belonging to something greater than yourself
• Motivation to live ethically, out of gratitude rather than fear of punishment

I would like to conclude today with a powerful analogy shared by a friend – that of an eagle soaring with its wings spread wide.

When you’re abiding in the spirit, you operate within your true nature and energy – not scrambling and flapping frantically like other birds.

An eagle flaps its wings mainly when steering or repositioning itself. The rest of the time, it spreads its wings and glides silently through the sky.

As you move through your day, picture yourself as this majestic eagle:

• Soaring effortlessly on currents of grace
• Conserving energy by gliding when possible
• Flapping deliberately only when a change in direction is needed
• Maintaining a broad perspective from high above

This image can remind you to stay calm, focused, and aligned with your higher purpose. Let your actions be deliberate and efficient, your outlook broad and clear.

May this analogy inspire you to move through life with the grace and power of an eagle!

Wishing you a day filled with purpose, serenity and joy!

x,

Meow