A central theme of Scripture is grace. Salvation through Christ is a gift of grace. Christ Himself is described as “full of grace” (John 1:14). A common definition of grace as used throughout the Bible is undeserved favor. This makes sense because Christ paid the penalty for and forgave our sins when we were not deserving of it. Every gift, every blessing, of God, can be seen as His grace toward us. Romans 5:15 reminds us, “If many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that One Man Jesus Christ abounded for many.” This is expanded on it Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
But grace also exists in another context. 2 Corinthians 9:8 teaches, “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.” Here, the Apostle Paul writes that grace is present in us as Christ-followers. Abound means to exist in large quantity. The grace we have in us that can be expressed outwardly is given to us by God. John 1:16 says, “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”
The New Testament word here is charis, which is Greek for “to rejoice” and related to our modern word “charity”. Later in Latin we have the word gratia, meaning “favor” or “thanks”. So in this one word, grace, we have a complex concept communicated. To be full of grace is to demonstrate charity or giving to others out of gratitude and in the joy of God’s favor toward us. How is grace, then, represented in our lives, and what are we to do with it?
Living like we didn’t earn it. Because God has gracious toward us, it provides a foundation for how we live with others. We did not earn God’s grace and we cannot work to keep it. Knowing that Jesus loves, accepts, forgives, protects and provides for us, we can extend grace toward others.[1] We can begin relationships without expecting something in return. We can forgive others knowing that they may never admit they were wrong. We can provide for, accept and love others without getting a “thank you”. This is a self-less life, and only authentically possible because of Christ in us.
This lifestyle opposes two popular myths of our culture. One is entitlement—that we live in a manner because we deserve it based on our merits. The other is victimhood—that we live in a manner because we have been unfairly oppressed by a class or group of people. Both of these cases deny that grace of God in our lives, making our own status the objective of our existence. Instead the Bible calls us to selflessness, saying, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).
Leadership questions: How can I best avoid a lifestyle of entitlement or victimhood? How can I most effectively demonstrate selflessness in my leadership?
Serving as we are gifted. Paul writes that we were “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). Part of our mission on earth is to serve others and to invest in them personally and spiritually. These “good works” God is using to draw people to Himself as we serve His Kingdom in the here and now.
The Bible teaches that we are equipped to serve others as a result of God’s grace. Romans 4:6-8 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” However God has equipped you, these talents and skills are a result of His grace in your life and enable you to effectively serve others for His glory.
Leadership questions: What gifts of grace have I received with which to serve others in Jesus’ name? Am I using my gifts to encourage, service, teach or show mercy?
Speaking with kindness and compassion. Paul also writes about how we talk to one another. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” What does it mean for our speech to be grace-filled? This is an idea Paul repeats throughout his letters, instructing followers of Christ to treat others in a loving and positive way. In Ephesians 4:32 Paul writes, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.”
Grace is a means by which we can be tenderhearted. That is, being considerate of others in how we treat them, avoiding severity and cruelty. In our culture we often instruct strong leaders to temper their speech and responses with reminders like, “You never know what someone is going through.” And, in fact, we don’t. Notice too Paul’s interesting phrase on graceful speech—seasoned with salt. That is, let your speech be tasty to others, something their ears will enjoy hearing and savoring.
Leadership questions: How do I speak to people around me? Is my tone and content seasoned so that it is received well by others? Am I kind and compassionate?
[1] https://danledwith.com/2018/05/08/being-full-of-grace/
Salvation through Christ is a gift of grace. Christ Himself is described as “full of grace” (John 1:14). A common definition of grace as used throughout the Bible is undeserved favor.