Grace

Grace is the unmeritable favor of God and it is offered to us in four distinct yet highly important varieties; common, saving, sustaining and dying grace

Common grace: The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. (Psalm 145:9) Being a loving God He sees to it that basic needs are met for all of His living creatures: plants, animals and humans. Jesus reassured His followers of that when He said Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (Matthew 6:25-29) In His sermon on the mount Jesus assured the listeners that God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45b) The sun supplies energy to the Earth and keeps us oriented to time as it determines the length of our days.

Saving grace:  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) The apostle Paul has taught us that God has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. (2 Timothy 1:9)

Sustaining grace: Life is full of adversity; financial, physical, emotional and relational problems galore. Jesus warned us of that when He stated quite candidly, In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  (John 16:33) He overcomes our problems, enables us to live above them yet in them through His infinite, sustaining grace. He assured the apostle Paul of this very thing when He said, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Dying grace: Each of us has, at one time or another, experienced the first three types of grace just described: Every one of us will one day also experience the latter. King Solomon wisely noted…death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. (Ecclesiastes 7:2)  God has promised over and over in His Word that He will never leave us of forsake us. That is also going to be true as we recline on our deathbed. David was comforted by that fact and shared it with us. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)