God’s grace is a beautiful gift. Because of God’s grace we exist, are offered redemption, and can enter a relationship with God even though we are sinners who constantly fall short of His glory. God’s grace gave those who have faith in Jesus the Way to be saved from our sins and eternal separation from God. God’s grace truly surpasses our understanding, but striving to understand, accept and live in the grace of God is essential to the life of not only every Christian but every person. God’s grace abounds throughout all of our lives and abounds all the more in the lives of those who trust Jesus as their Savior. What does it mean to abound in grace and how do we abound in the grace of God?
7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.
2 Corinthians 8:7 NKJV
God’s grace leads us to Him
God extends His grace to every human who has ever and will ever live, drawing them to Himself, offering them salvation through the blood of Jesus, and is graciously patient with each of us. None of us can come to Christ unless God Himself draws them, and it is His grace that abounds over us drawing us to Him to be saved.
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44 NKJV
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and [a]Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
Romans 1:20 NKJV
God’s grace forgives our sins
When we obey the call, listen to God drawing us in, and choose to enter into a relationship with Him through faith, we must repent of our sins, seeking God’s forgiveness. The amazing thing is, God does forgive us every sin.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 ESV
Repentance is an essential part of abounding in God’s grace. If we do not confess and repent of our sins, we are not forgiven, and we will grow or remain distant from God. When we allow ourselves to drift and become distant from God, letting unconfessed sin pile up, we are rejecting His grace and failing to live within it.
20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
Romans 5:20 NKJV
We need to confess our sins with a repentant heart, release our sins to our Heavenly Father, receive His forgiveness, and rest in right-standing with Him again. It is by His grace that we can come to Him, repent and confess, and receive His forgiveness which frees us from the bondage of sin.
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, [a]to repentance.”
Matthew 9:13 NKJV
God’s grace leads us to worship Him
When we have received God’s grace, are living repentant within the freedom His grace provides, we are led to worship. True worship is heartfelt, genuine, and honest praise. Worship gives God due recognition and honor. We are called to worship in spirit and truth, and to do so is possible because of the freedom we find in God’s grace.
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:23-24 ESV
God’s grace equips us and provides for us
In His grace, He is ever-present in our lives, revealing Himself in all of creation, providing for us, loving us, having mercy on us, and correcting us all the time. God’s grace pours out upon all of us as His creations whom He loves and desires to have a relationship with.
4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s[a] faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:4-8 CSB
In His grace, He equips us and provides for us throughout our lives. God has work He has prepared for us to do and whatever He calls us to do, He will equip and provide for us to do. In His grace, He lavishes us with Spiritual gifts, necessities like clothes and food, and countless other blessings throughout our lives.
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
Matthew 6:31-32 ESV
The Lord teaches, guides, and provides for us. It is up to us whether we obey the instructions or use the blessings for the work He has prepared for us, but it is by His grace that we receive any of it. Each of us has a part to play, work to do, and an impact to make for the Kingdom of God. Even when life hurts, circumstances are tough, or we are in a time of great suffering He will not leave us without anything we need and more to do what He calls on us to do.
24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!
Luke 12:24 ESV
God’s grace calls us to serve Him
When we have accepted salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, repented of our sins, are forgiven and justified, we cannot help but worship God. We also will then develop a heart of service to our Heavenly Father. This true repentance and saving faith call us to do what we have been equipped and prepared to do for the Kingdom of God. When we serve God with a true heart of worship and cheerful giving, we display God’s grace to the world around us and abound in His grace all the more.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV
Service can mean a lot of things. For some it may be helping in the local church, others take missionary journeys around the world, and there are endless day-to-day ways to serve the Lord.
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV
Some practical ways to serve God are:
- Be en example of Christ at work, home, school and wherever you go
- Help a cause in your community
- Tithe the firstfruits regularly
- Be kind and loving toward strangers or people you disagree with
- Check on people in your life and remind them they are not alone
- Pray for people in your life and around the world
- Share your time, talents or resources with others
- Show hospitality to those in your life
- Share the gospel with others
- Ask others how you can pray for, help, or serve them
There are truly endless ways to serve God. It doesn’t have to be big elaborate things. Serving God is often done in the mundane daily tasks, turning those tasks into work for God versus for self. Not allowing ourselves to be distracted by the world, by the culture, by problems or contentment, but living in God’s grace allows us to see the world through His eyes and see everything as an opportunity to serve God.
9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:9-11 ESV
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13 ESV
God’s grace uses us to display His love and share His truth
God equips us and provides for us so that we can serve God, fulfill our calling, and be good stewards of His Word. We are called to go out into the world, be examples of Christ, display His love, and share His Truth with the world around us. We are all members of the Body of Christ, each given our personal callings which God prepares us for, and also given a shared calling which He likewise provides and equips us for.
19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:15 NKJV
All of us are called to share the grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation which we have received so that more people may know and trust in the Truth as well. We have a beautiful role in planting seeds in the lives and hearts of others that God may water and grow them, leading them also to be saved as we have been saved. The grace of God abounds when we display it to the world around us and share the Truth of His grace in the ways and opportunities which God will provide for us to do.
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
2 Timothy 1:8 NKJV
God’s grace changes us to be more like Him
By accepting God’s grace, having faith in Jesus as our Savior, and entering into a relationship with God we welcome the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. We then have the full grace, love, and power of God Almighty in us, and He begins a new work in us.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
Psalm 19:1 NKJV
And the firmament[a] shows [b]His handiwork.
God’s Spirit works in us, transforming us from the inside out, teaching us to live in God’s grace, how to please God, to become more like Christ, and to worship Him in Spirit and truth. We are justified through faith, and then sanctified by the Spirit of God living in us.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
The Holy Spirit takes root inside of us, and as we grow in our faith, continuing to live in the grace of God, we will display the evidence of our saving faith. This evidence will be seen in the way we choose to live. The fruits of the Holy Spirit will spring up in our lives, we will have true desires to please God, to reside in His grace and share His grace with others, and we will become more like Christ.
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Matthew 7:20 NKJV
Our faith will be evident by the fruits we bear. If we are growing in the fruits of the Spirit, others will see this, sense it, and be drawn closer to God through your genuine faith, hope, and love of God. We will be more patient, more kind, gentle, loving, have self-control, be faithful to how God teaches us to live. We will be filled with God’s peace and joy even in times of pain and suffering.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
Psalm 37:4 ESV
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
As we abound in grace, and God’s grace abounds in our lives, we will begin to delight in the Lord and our desires will match up with His desires. We will put off the old self and embrace the new creation God is working in us to become for His honor and glory.
To abound in grace we must live within the grace of God, allowing our very selves and lives to be transformed by Him. We must have a willing heart to be used by God for His works to bring Him glory and honor.
7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.
2 Corinthians 8:7 NKJV
What areas of your life do you need to reside in the grace of God more?
Fellowship is an important part of every Christian’s life. Together we can learn, grow, and become more of what God is working in us to become. How can we encourage you and come alongside you in your faith journey? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below, and hear from you how you have been encouraged in your faith to abide and abound in God’s grace.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV
Have you accepted the grace of God?
If you have not accepted the grace of God and chosen to believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to God now and invite Him in, accept Jesus as the sacrifice for your sins, and repent of your sins. Submit it all to God, lay it at His feet, seek the forgiveness of God, welcome Him into your life, and believe that Jesus died and rose again to save you from your sins.
If you would like to learn more about salvation, you can find a couple of studies that may help here:
- Names of Jesus: Savior
- Don’t Neglect Your Salvation
- Prayer of Salvation
- What is grace and why do we need it?
- What does it mean to be justified by grace?
- Don’t Reject God’s Grace
- Don’t Reject Christ
- Godly Women – what it means to live a godly life
- Redeemed Women – what it means to be redeemed
- What is Biblical Love?
- What are Spiritual Gifts?
- How to live in Spirit and Truth
- How to test what is pleasing to God
- Names of Jesus as the Son of God
- Names of Jesus as the Son of Man
- Names of Jesus as the Truth
Grace Bible Reading Plan
Want to explore the theme of grace throughout scripture? Grab our FREE Bible Reading Plan!
